Overview

• Sweden's parliament passed an amendment to its Sex Purchase Act, criminalizing the purchase of live custom sexual acts on digital platforms like OnlyFans.
• The law, effective July 1, 2025, treats paying for remote, real-time sexual performances the same as paying for physical sex, with penalties including prison time.
• Pre-recorded adult content remains legal, while the law also bans profiting from or promoting live paid sexual acts.
• Proponents argue the reform protects vulnerable individuals from exploitation, grooming, and trafficking in the digital realm.
• Critics, including online sex workers and activists, warn the law threatens creators' livelihoods and draws comparisons to the restrictive U.S. SESTA/FOSTA legislation.