A new law passed by Sweden’s parliament is set to criminalize the purchase of online sex acts, including custom live shows on platforms like OnlyFans, placing digital sex buyers at risk of prison time. The legislation, which will come into effect on July 1, equates paying for remote sexual performances with soliciting in-person prostitution.
According to Swedish MP Teresa Carvalho, the move aims to modernize sex purchase laws for the digital age: “This is a new form of sex purchase, and it’s high time we modernize the legislation to include digital platforms,” she said following the bill’s approval.
Under the law, it will be illegal to pay for live, specially-commissioned sex acts performed on camera. Those found guilty of purchasing such services could face up to one year in prison, aligning with Sweden’s existing penalties for in-person sex buying.
Importantly, pre-recorded adult content will remain legal to access and purchase.
Though the bill has raised concerns about its impact on adult content creators, lawmakers insist it is not designed to punish sex workers. Carvalho argued the law’s true intent is to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation, citing ties between digital sex trafficking, grooming, drug abuse, and human trafficking.
The legislation mirrors the controversial SESTA/FOSTA acts passed in the United States in 2018, which made platforms liable for enabling sex work. Yigit Adin, an activist at the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance, compared the Swedish law to that US precedent, warning it could similarly stifle online safety and income for adult creators.
Despite cross-party support in Sweden’s parliament, critics say the bill doesn’t go far enough. Social Democrat politician Annika Strandhäll has called for a complete ban on platforms like OnlyFans, describing them as digital spaces where prostitution can flourish undetected.
“Prostitution or the sex trade is constantly taking new forms, and it is important that politicians and legislators keep up,” Strandhäll told Swedish outlet Expressen. She also pushed for age verification systems on porn sites, warning about the ease with which children can currently access violent adult content.
Sweden’s current sex work laws already criminalize buying sex but not selling it—a model often referred to as the “Nordic Model.” Pimps and traffickers face up to four years in prison.
This latest expansion into the digital realm signals Sweden’s intent to further clamp down on the online sex trade, even as it ignites debate about privacy, platform accountability, and the rights of sex workers operating in digital spaces.