An online panel hosted by Aylo and Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Behind Bars addressed the struggles of adult content creators facing digital and financial restrictions.

Panel Discussion

The event, titled "Banned and Blocked: Defending the Rights of Creators On and Offline," was co-hosted by SWOP Behind Bars Executive Director Blair Hopkins and Aylo VP of Brand and Community Alex Kekesi. Panelists included sex worker rights activist Savannah Sly of New Moon Network, and outspoken creator/activists Cherie DeVille and Siri Dahl.

The discussion focused on the impact of deplatforming by banks, payment processors, and digital platforms on adult content creators, other sex workers, and related advocacy organizations. The panelists shared their personal experiences with debanking and online bans.

Personal Accounts

Sly recounted having an account with a payment processor shut down for "suspicious activity" while she was in her early 20s and working as a dominatrix. Since then, she noted, she has met countless sex workers who have lost bank accounts and access to payment applications.

"We see it all the time, and it's really destabilizing," Sly attested. Being unable to access your money, she added, is dangerous and causes instability in your life, as well as for advocacy organizations working for sex worker rights.

Dahl described setting up a business account a few years ago with a startup bank marketed as being for creators with LLC businesses — only to see it shut down after six months. She speculated that the action was almost certainly due to most of her deposits being from OnlyFans parent company Fenix International, although she did not provide further details.

Strategies and Solutions

The panel discussion aimed to spotlight practical resilience strategies while strengthening solidarity across the creator community. The conversation focused on real-world consequences of reputation-based restrictions, as well as legal strategies, policy responses, and community-led solutions designed to protect digital access and financial stability.

Key Facts

  • Aylo and SWOP Behind Bars hosted an online panel titled "Banned and Blocked: Defending the Rights of Creators On and Offline."
  • The event featured sex worker rights activist Savannah Sly, outspoken creator/activists Cherie DeVille and Siri Dahl as panelists.
  • Debanking and online bans have affected numerous adult content creators and sex workers, causing instability in their lives and livelihoods.
  • The discussion focused on strategies to combat digital and financial restrictions, including legal strategies, policy responses, and community-led solutions.