Sweden has introduced a new law that broadens its longstanding ban on purchasing sex to include certain digital content, marking a significant shift in how the country addresses online sexual services. The legislation, which came into force on 1 July 2025, directly impacts platforms like OnlyFans, where users often pay for personalized explicit material.
What changes under the new Swedish law?
Under Swedish law, buying sexual services has been illegal since 1999, while selling them remains lawful. The new amendment extends this framework to the digital sphere. Paying someone to perform a specific sexual act on camera—such as requesting tailored videos on OnlyFans—is now prohibited. However, purchasing pre-recorded, generic content without influencing its production remains legal.
The change responds to the growing trend of consumers ordering custom pornographic content online, which policymakers argue closely resembles traditional prostitution. By closing this gap, the law seeks to align digital transactions with what is already forbidden offline.
Why do Swedish authorities support the reform?
Advocates believe the updated legislation makes Sweden’s position clearer and more consistent. They argue it is essential that “what is illegal in the physical world is also illegal in the digital world.” The Swedish government expects the law will help curb the risk of online platforms serving as a gateway to prostitution, reducing exploitation linked to the creation of bespoke sexual content.
The reform also prohibits any action that promotes or profits from someone performing a sexual act remotely for payment—strengthening tools against digital pimping.
What are the criticisms of the new rules?
Critics warn that the law might create unintended legal dilemmas for content creators and those around them. For example, a person could theoretically be prosecuted for pimping if they financially benefit from a partner producing explicit content on platforms like OnlyFans.
Others point out that the law could be ineffective in practice. Content creators might still informally poll their audience about preferences and then produce videos aligning with popular requests, thus circumventing the spirit of the law while technically staying within its limits.
A step aligned with Sweden’s broader approach
This legislative update underscores Sweden’s consistent stance on prostitution, often referred to as the “Nordic model”, which criminalizes buyers but not sellers. By expanding these principles to the digital domain, Swedish lawmakers aim to keep pace with evolving online markets for sexual services.
Observers across Europe are watching closely, as debates continue over whether similar measures should be adopted in other countries to regulate the rapidly changing landscape of digital sex work.
