Keeping our community safe is a priority for CandFans. It is very important that we know who is using our platform and that they are at least 18 years old.
How old must a creator or fan be to access content on CandFans?
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account and access content on the CandFans platform as a Fan or as a Creator.
It is against our Terms of Service and our Acceptable Use Policy for anyone who is under 18 years old to view, access or post content on CandFans. We invest heavily in technology and human moderation teams to make sure this policy is followed. If anyone seeks to get around these policies and controls, CandFans will take appropriate action against them.
Why must a creator or fan be 18+ years old to access CandFans content?
CandFans is an inclusive subscription-based platform that allows for freedom of expression. As long as content is in keeping with Terms of Service and our Acceptable Use Policy, CandFans’ Creators have the freedom create and share content with their Fans.
This freedom of expression must be balanced with community safety. There are two reasons why you must be at least 18 years old to access the CandFans platform.
- To subscribe to, or post content on, the CandFans platform, you need to provide us with payment card details and be legally able to pay for a subscription service.
- Some of the content available on CandFans is not suitable for people who are under 18 years old.
This is why all Creators and Fans must be 18+ years old to access, view or post content on CandFans.
Why does CandFans take all of these steps to verify users on the platform?
We take these steps because we are committed to protecting Creators and Fans on our platform and to make sure our users are complying with the law in the countries where we operate.
It is both socially responsible and legally necessary to ask Creators and Fans to provide CandFans with this information.
But I can see sexually explicit content on other social media platforms without providing this information, why do I need to provide this information to CandFans?
Although sexually explicit content appears on many other platforms which allow users who are under 18 years old, CandFans Terms of Service and our Acceptable Use Policy allow Creators the freedom to choose which content they create and share with their fans, as long as they adhere to these policies. We acknowledge and permit the sharing of adult content on our platform. This is why it is our policy is to restrict access to CandFans to people who are at least 18 years old and why Creators and Fans must provide age and identity verification to CandFans.
How does CandFans seek to verify age and identity of Creators and Fans?
CandFans uses a combination of technology and human moderation teams to verify age and identity of Creators and Fans. The tools, policies, and procedures we use to verify age and identity are always evolving to reflect best practices, state-of-the-art technology, and changes in the law.
For example, as part of the age and identity verification process, Creator must provide more than 9 pieces of personally identifying information and documents before they can post content on CandFans, including:
- full name
- verified email address
- postal address
- date of birth
- valid government photo ID
- standalone selfie
- selfie while holding their photo ID
- social media account handles
- bank account information
- in the United States, W-9 and Social Security Number
Depending on the country, Fans may have to provide various personally identifying information, confirmations, payments details, and documents to view media content on CandFans.
We continue to check both Creator and Fan accounts after an account is opened. We proactively re-check age and identity verification using both technology and human intelligence, and we investigate any concerns from our community or other interested third parties like law enforcement, commercial partners, or non-governmental organisations.
Who carries out these age and identity verifications of Creators and Fans?
CandFans has a dedicated team which specializes in reviewing, approving, and rejecting account applications including checking and verifying age and identity information. This team uses human judgement, CandFans uses its own in-house technology and third-party tools to verify the age and identity of creators and fans.
How many accounts does CandFans reject each month?
We do not have a target for the number of accounts we accept or reject each month. Our Transparency Reports for 2022 show that around 15 percent of account applications made in 2022 were rejected because they failed to meet our strict requirements of the account verification and vetting process. This shows how carefully we apply our onboarding and identity verification process, and our dedication to keeping the community safe.
Does CandFans do follow-up checks on age and identity verification?
Yes. After an account has been opened, CandFans regularly checks Creator and Fan accounts to ensure the Creator of Fan is 18+, and the user of the account matches the information provided when the account was opened.
All Creator accounts are subject to secondary "selfie checks" on a rolling 180-day cycle, and there are additional cross-checks of Creator accounts. In addition, we can and do impose additional checks i n certain high-risk jurisdictions or where an account has been flagged for additional security after our initial verification process has been completed.
What does CandFans do when a creator fails a "selfie check"?
If a creator fails a “selfie check,” the relevant account cannot be accessed, and any relevant content is removed from view. The account will then be subject to review by our team of trained moderators and appropriate action will be taken, such as seeking additional ID documents, suspending or terminating an account, or banning an IP address.
How long does CandFans retain the age and identity verification information?
It is necessary for CandFans to retain certain age and identity verification information regarding Creators and Fans to protect our community and to comply with the law. You may find more information about how long we retain this information in our Privacy Policy.
What else do you do with the age and identity verification information provided to CandFans?
We collect age and identity verification information for the sole purpose of keeping our community safe. Unlike other platforms, CandFans does not monetize, sell, or use age and identity verification information for any other purpose.