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1 July 2025 will be a black day for erotic consumers in Sweden. From then on, a new youth protection regulation will not apply. Watching erotic cam shows will be classified as a criminal offence and completely banned. However, not only cam portals, their performers and customers are affected. OnlyFans, for example, is also known to give creators the opportunity to go live. This is also covered by the new law and categorised as a criminal act.

Videos are still allowed

Hardcore videos are still allowed. The so-called custom videos, which are often in demand from Only Fans and other fan portals, are where it gets interesting. Here, an actress produces a video entirely according to the customer’s specifications and wishes. Whether this is also covered by the law is unclear. It is equally unclear what exactly constitutes a sexual act in front of the cam. Simple nudity or striptease may still be permitted. Masturbation with and without toys may not. As is so often the case, the exact demarcation is unclear in such cases.

Prior to this, OnlyFans representatives tried to speak to the Swedish Ministry of Justice in order to possibly avert this harsh regulation. This was obviously not successful, the law has been passed and comes into force.

Of course, the restriction of freedoms in this drastic form is not uncontroversial. Creator have already announced that they will be leaving Sweden. They are practically deprived of their livelihood as a result. But even customers are liable to prosecution and are threatened with a prison sentence of up to one year from 1 July. Legal action is also planned against the portal operators.

Amnesty International: Legal situation in Sweden threatens sex workers

Prostitution has been banned in Sweden for years. As a result, it has become illegal, with all the consequences for sex workers. Amnesty International also criticises this, pointing out, among other things, that sexual acts for money have now been pushed into private spaces, which poses a corresponding threat to sex workers.

The seemingly absurd extension of the so-called ‘Nordic model’ to online business now also covers any sexual activity in front of the camera. This is based on the assumption that a webcam model feels ‘at least as vulnerable as during sexual acts with physical contact’.

Obviously, the initiators of the law did not consider the situation of the creators and the actual process of working in front of the cam in any way. They could hardly have come to this completely unrealistic conclusion any other way. The European Sex Workers Rights Alliance (ESWA) also campaigned against the adoption of the law, which is regressive and jeopardises the privacy and safety of models. It has had no effect. The fact that many prostitutes have moved to a safe, private environment at home in front of the camera without any real customer contact due to the ban was also apparently ignored. It is not known whether this massive restriction of fundamental rights will now stand or whether it will be legally challenged. In any case, it is valid for the time being.