The Swedish parliament has passed a law banning the purchase of sexual performances for viewing online, including those on platforms like OnlyFans, significantly updating the country's law on the purchase of sexual services.
The new law makes it illegal to pay someone to perform a sexual act remotely – for example, via live video streaming – for the purpose of the act being viewed by a customer. It also criminalizes profiting from or promoting such acts when they are performed for a fee.
"This is a new form of buying sex and it is high time we modernized the legislation to include digital platforms," said Social Democratic Party MP Teresa Carvalho, after the law was passed by a large majority in parliament.
While watching and paying for pre-recorded content remains legal, the law targets live, on-demand interactions, which lawmakers argue blur the line between legal and ethical, Euractiv reports.
Some content creators on OnlyFans have criticized the law, claiming it threatens their source of income. Carvalho responded that the law is not aimed at adult content producers, but at protecting young and vulnerable individuals. She pointed to documented links between online exploitation, human trafficking, drug abuse, and recruitment into more serious forms of prostitution.
The bill was submitted by the parliamentary committee on the judiciary and received support from several political parties.
With this legislation, Sweden is positioning itself as a leader in regulating digital sex work, in line with its broader zero-tolerance stance towards prostitution.
In Sweden, purchasing a sexual act is punishable by up to one year in prison, while pimping carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
The new law comes into effect on July 1st.
Bonus video:
