Sweden’s parliament has passed a law banning the purchase of sexual performances for viewing online, including those on platforms like OnlyFans, marking a major update to the country’s sex purchase legislation.
Under the new law, it is illegal to pay someone to perform a sexual act remotely – such as via live video – for the specific purpose of the act being viewed by the buyer. It also criminalises profiting from or promoting others who perform such acts for payment on demand.
“This is a new form of sex purchase, and it’s high time we modernise the legislation to include digital platforms,” said Social Democrat MP Teresa Carvalho, after the bill was passed by a large majority in parliament.
While viewing and paying for pre-recorded content remains legal, the law targets live, commissioned interactions, which lawmakers argue blur legal and ethical lines.
Some OnlyFans creators have criticised the law, saying it harms their livelihoods. Carvalho responded that the law is not aimed at targeting adult content creators, but at protecting young people and vulnerable individuals. She pointed to documented links between online exploitation, human trafficking, drug abuse, and grooming into more severe forms of prostitution.
The bill was proposed by the parliament’s justice committee and received cross-party backing.
With this legislation, Sweden positions itself at the forefront of regulating digital sex work, consistent with its broader zero-tolerance stance on 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 laws will take effect on 1 July.
(de)
