OnlyFans account billboards 'not overtly sexual', regulator rules

Billboards showing a scantily clad model advertising her explicit social media accounts have been cleared by the regulator despite complaints.

The posters of Eliza Rose Watson in a bra top, alongside the logos of OnlyFans and Instagram, went up in Harrow, Tottenham, Lambeth and Edgware.

Complainants argued that the image was inappropriate for children to see.

But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the picture was not overtly sexual and did not objectify women.

As such, it was "unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence" the authority concluded, even though it "might be distasteful to some".

All the complainants, who understood that OnlyFans was an internet content subscription service that features sexual adult content, challenged whether the ad was inappropriate for display where children could see it.

Ms Watson said the ad adhered to advertising guidelines and reflected current social attitudes, adding that she tailored it to "avoid offensiveness to mature viewers and [to] intrigue the younger generation".

Amplify Outdoor, the owner of the poster sites, said none of the billboards were within 100 metres of a school.

The ASA agreed that the posters had not been placed irresponsibly and ruled that no further action was necessary.