Snapchat is doing “sweeps” and removing pornographic accounts

If you’re an active Snapchat seller you are probably feeling the heat, if you haven’t already had an account deleted then you are one of the lucky ones. Over the past month, hundreds of models have spoken up about having their accounts deleted and many are trying to find the “root of the problem.”

Why are Snapchat accounts run by pornstars and cam girls being deleted?

There seem to be some factors in common when accounts are being deleted, one of the biggest issues is the swipe up feature. When Snapchat first released the linking feature, it seemed like a blessing for the adult community since we constantly link to our pay sites and informational sites. As it turns out, Snapchat was using this feature to track what accounts were linking to, and began to flag accounts for linking to pornographic material.

Snapchat Warning Against Porn Links

It began with notifications that “sites were unsafe to visit” and it allowed you to click to go to the site anyway, but now when you attach links to sites that are pornographic in nature (the biggest offenders for bans currently seems to be a split between ManyVids and OnlyFans) you risk your account being put into time out, being locked, or the worst case scenario… a permanent Snapchat ban.

Screenshotting Links Doesn’t Work

Without being able to utilize the swipe up feature, many models began to simply type out their links on their posts and ask viewers to screenshot the links. Although this seems like the perfect solution, it still isn’t ideal. The recent ban sweeps seem to indicate even if you aren’t using the swipe up feature to share your links, if you posts a pornographic link it can still be detected. This logic actually does make sense, since there is a preview of everything that you’ve typed that displays on your photos when you view the posts in your story. This could potentially be information that is being tracked and flagged by Snapchat automatically.

How can I avoid getting my Snapchat account banned or deleted?

A convenient way to share links now is creating “stickers.” When you look on the Snapchat interface, there is a little pair of scissors that displays on the right side of your screen. Using this you can create stickers using photos from your camera roll, and the stickers can have your usernames or links written on them. You can use these stickers on anything you post, and you can even use them as a watermark. Since the information isn’t being entered directly into the Snapchat application there is no way for Snapchat to automatically “track it” unless it is reported by someone and sent for review. It is not a fool-proof option, since Snapchat has updated to ban all pornography and links to pornography if your photos are reported with these sticker links on them you can still face issues, but it is the best way to attach links to your story right now since it eliminates MOST of the dangers of posting links. Alternatively, you can also direct people to a safe for work landing page with your links, or to your social media that contains your links.

Could this be the end of “private Snapchat” or “premium Snapchat?”

Snapchat has never been sex worker friendly, but it used to be much more easy to navigate as an adult worker. Snapchat updated their Terms of Service and these updates will go into effect on October 30th, 2019. While some of the points may be pre-existing, they all remain to be very anti-porn. In alignment with the sweeps, it’s very clear Snapchat has now taken these terms more seriously and is actually utilizing them. Are you in breech of their Terms? Some of the key points to check out include:

“While we’re not required to do so, we may access, review, screen, and delete your content at any time and for any reason, including to provide and develop the Services or if we think your content violates these Terms. You alone, though, remain responsible for the content you create, upload, post, send, or store through the Service.”

“You may not do any of the following (or enable anyone else to do so):… use the Services, any tools provided by the Services, or any content on the Services for any commercial purposes without our consent.”

“By using the Services, you agree that:… You will not post content that contains or links to pornography, graphic violence, threats, hate speech, or incitements to violence.”

“By using the Services, you agree that, in addition to exercising common sense:… You will not buy, sell, rent, or lease access to your Snapchat accounts, Snaps, a Snapchat username, or a friend link without our written permission.”

This Effects Models and Subscribers

While Snapchat finally utilizing their TOS may not be the end of adult industry Snapchat, it is certainly the end of it as we know it currently. As Snapchat becomes more invasive in a bid to end the adult industry activity happening on their platform, it is not only effecting the model base who is constantly forced to rebuild their accounts after they are deleted, but it is also effecting the interest of the customer. Subscription or lifetime services like Snapchat are meant to have ease of use, when that ease of use is removed by the constant and repeated deletion of models, customers will begin to lose interest in purchasing access to these accounts. It becomes even more difficult when models don’t universally handle the deletion the same way, some will simply not return to Snapchat, some will come back and require a re-entry fee, others may just add everyone back and hope for the best. With this inconsistency, it raises the question of who is worth buying from if there’s no way to know what would happen if their account was deleted.

How can you prepare for when the new Terms of Service go into effect?

If you are planning to continue using Snapchat once the new terms go into effect, sending yourself a copy of your data is a good place to start in preparation for the worst case scenario. From Snapchat, go to the settings screen and select “My Data.” This will e-mail you a copy of all of your data, which will include a list of your current friends. This will help make the process of adding everyone easier in the situation where your account is banned.

If Your Account Is Deleted

Creating a back up account in the situation where your account is deleted can also be helpful, promote the Snap code for that account on your profile on a regular basis to make sure your followers will know that’s where you will be if your current account is deleted.

If your account is deleted, having a plan for how you will handle your subscribers and being upfront with that plan is the best business practice. Personally, I provided video content for all of my subscribers when my premium account was deleted and decided to no longer offer private Snapchat. The content was great than the value of their buy-in, which is not necessarily the best money making business practice, but it solidified my business relationship with many of my subscribers who then went on to support my other ventures because they deemed me as a trustworthy service provider.

What are the best alternatives to a Private Snapchat?

Since Snapchat does not want adult workers on their platform, this is a great time to shift yourself and your customers to new platforms that are sex work friendly. Many models have had great success in shifting their Snapchat customers over to fanclub platforms. Fanclub platforms have a similar subscription set up, and many of them have the benefit of not expiring as opposed to Snapchat.

OnlyFans is the number one choice for models looking to gravitate away from Private Snapchat. OnlyFans offers a monthly subscription, pay to view messaging, the ability to queue content, the ability to make content expire, a model referral program, and 80% payout. When Snapchat first started going downhill, many models already began to direct their customers towards this service. Due to that, the amount of members on the site has greatly increased, which has made getting subscriptions on the site easier. OnlyFans also shares a similar ease of use much like Snapchat, in that they are able to view all of the subscriptions from one easy to access page.