If you're an adult content creator with a link-in-bio page pointing to OnlyFans or Fansly, here's the bottom line: your link page almost certainly doesn't trigger mandatory age verification laws.
These laws target sites that host adult content, not pages that link to it. OnlyFans age verification is handled on their end — the legal burden sits with the platform, not your link page.
But the regulatory landscape is shifting fast, and a few simple steps protect you now and future-proof you for what's coming. One of those steps — an 18+ interstitial — also solves a completely different problem most creators don't know they have.
What You Should Do Right Now
Keep your link page safe-for-work
No suggestive thumbnails, no preview images, no embedded adult clips. Age verification laws in 25+ US states apply to sites where one-third or more of content is sexually explicit.
A clean link page with text links, a profile photo, and social icons stays well below that threshold — and outside regulatory scope. It also keeps you off Meta's radar — suggestive images on link pages are one of the fastest ways to get shadowbanned on Instagram.
At zori.bio, we enforce this automatically — every uploaded image is scanned through Google Cloud Vision SafeSearch Detection before it goes live on your page. If an image is flagged as explicit or suggestive, it won't publish.
This keeps your link page legally clean without relying on you to self-audit.
Enable an 18+ interstitial (this does more than you think)
It's not legally required for most link pages. Turn it on anyway — it solves two problems at once.
Legal: demonstrates good faith compliance, costs nothing, adds minimal friction.
Technical: Meta's link scanner crawls every URL in your Instagram bio, follows redirects, and reads what's on the destination page.
But it cannot click buttons.
An 18+ click-through gate stops the crawler cold — it sees a clean warning page and never reaches the adult content behind the button.
This is exactly what happened to GetAllMyLinks. In mid-2025, they disabled all direct links platform-wide and switched to mandatory 18+ landing pages — because their shared domains had been flagged by Meta's scanning. Direct redirects let the crawler see adult content, which shadowbanned every creator on those domains.
Check where your traffic comes from
The US (25+ state laws), UK (strictest enforcement globally), France, Germany, Italy, and Australia all have active age verification requirements. If you earn significant revenue from UK or EU audiences, pay closer attention to those specific rules.
Watch platform terms more than laws
Instagram banning your account for violating Sexual Solicitation rules is far more likely than government prosecution of a link page.
That's exactly why the 18+ interstitial matters — it's not just compliance, it's the mechanism that prevents Meta from scanning past your landing page.
Pair it with a custom domain to isolate your link from shared domain risk, and make sure in-app browsers aren't silently killing your conversions.
The Legal Deep Dive: Why Your Link Page Is (Mostly) Exempt
The One-Third Rule
Every US state with an age verification law applies it to websites where one-third or more of the content is sexually explicit.
A typical link page contains text links, a profile photo, and social icons — zero percent explicit content. That's well below any threshold.
Arizona's law makes this especially clear: "the responsibility to screen for minors falls only to the website hosting the content," with no obligation on services that transmit materials between the originating site and the customer.
The same logic holds internationally — the UK Online Safety Act, France's SREN Law, and Germany's JMStV all target sites that host or publish adult content, not pages that link to it.
Two outliers to know: Wyoming's HB 43 (effective July 2025) covers sites publishing adult content "no matter how little," and Kansas sets a lower 25% threshold. These reinforce why keeping your link page image-free matters.
OnlyFans Age Verification vs. Yours
OnlyFans handles age verification on their end using Ondato for ID-based checks in regulated states. The verification burden sits with the platform hosting the content — not your link page.
No court has ruled that a link-in-bio page "distributes" adult content under these laws.
The strongest legal argument: your page contains no explicit material, doesn't meet any content threshold, and falls under intermediary exemptions in laws like Texas HB 1181 (which excludes entities "solely providing access or connection").
Which States Have Age Verification Laws?
As of February 2026, roughly half of US states have active laws. The Supreme Court upheld Texas HB 1181 in June 2025 (Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, 6-3), which accelerated adoption — nine states enacted new laws in 2025 alone.
States with active laws include: Texas, Florida, Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Arizona, Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Missouri.
None of these laws accept a simple "Are you 18?" click-through as valid age verification. Required methods include government ID scanning, digital state ID verification, or third-party commercial verification systems.
The bottom line: age verification laws don't target link pages, but they're expanding fast. The safest position is the one from the checklist above — keep your page clean, enable an 18+ interstitial (which also blocks Meta's crawler), and let OnlyFans handle the legal verification.
International Laws: UK, EU, and Beyond
United Kingdom: The Strictest Regime
The UK has the most aggressive age verification enforcement globally — and it's the second-largest OnlyFans market at $531 million in creator spending.
The Online Safety Act became enforceable for adult content services from July 25, 2025. Ofcom requires "Highly Effective Age Assurance," which explicitly excludes simple click-throughs and self-declaration. Approved methods include photo ID matching, facial age estimation, and open banking verification.
Enforcement is real.
By late 2025, 92 online services were under Ofcom investigation, and Ofcom fined AVS Group Ltd £1 million in December 2025 for inadequate age checks. Penalties reach £18 million or 10% of global revenue.
EU and Australia
France, Germany, and Italy all now require robust age verification on adult platforms — not self-declaration, not click-throughs, but ID-based or biometric checks. France's SREN Law (enforced from April 2025) requires "double anonymity" so the site never learns a user's identity.
Germany requires KJM-approved verification systems. Italy published a list of 48–50 platforms required to comply, including OnlyFans. Fines across all three countries range from €150,000 to €250,000 per violation.
Australia's Phase 2 industry codes are rolling into effect across late 2025 and early 2026, with penalties reaching AUD $49.5 million per breach. Australia spent $237 million on OnlyFans in 2025.
Brazil's Digital ECA takes effect March 17, 2026, with penalties up to 10% of Brazilian revenue. Brazil is the ninth-largest OnlyFans market at $194 million annually.
The pattern is clear: every major market is moving toward stricter enforcement. None of these laws target link pages — but the regulatory direction only goes one way.
High-Risk Jurisdictions
Some countries pose risks far beyond age verification.
- India criminalizes creating or sharing adult content with up to 7 years imprisonment.
- Indonesia imposes up to 12 years.
- South Korea broadly prohibits pornography production and distribution.
Creators based in these countries face fundamental legal risks — seek jurisdiction-specific legal counsel before anything else.
Platform Rules Matter More Than Laws
For most creators, getting banned from Instagram is a bigger threat than government prosecution. Focus here first.
Explicitly prohibits sharing "links to external pornographic websites" under its Sexual Solicitation rules. In practice, Instagram doesn't automatically ban OnlyFans links — but will remove accounts that pair such links with sexually suggestive content. Since October 2025, accounts linking to adult-themed sites are hidden from teen users.
This is why keeping your link page and your Instagram content strictly safe-for-work matters more than any age verification law.
TikTok
Strictly prohibits promoting adult content platforms. Creators use it as a safe-for-work discovery funnel, but direct links to adult content get accounts banned.
X (formerly Twitter)
Formally allows adult content (policy formalized June 2024) but requires it to be marked "sensitive." In the UK and some US states, X has implemented age verification — causing 80%+ engagement drops for adult creators in those regions.
Link-in-bio services
Each set their own rules. Linktree allows OnlyFans links if marked as "sensitive content" and offers built-in interstitials. Beacons similarly allows linking with sensitive content notices but prohibits selling NSFW content through its commerce features.
The common thread: every platform rewards safe-for-work presentation. The creators who get banned are almost always the ones who push suggestive content on their link pages or social profiles — not the ones who simply link to OnlyFans.
Global Interstitial vs. Geo-Targeting
A global interstitial is simpler and safer than geo-targeting. It eliminates geo-detection errors, future-proofs against new laws, and demonstrates good faith everywhere.
The friction cost is minimal — a single tap.
There's also a practical reason: VPN usage spikes wherever age verification laws take effect. Florida saw a 1,150% increase in VPN demand after its law launched, and UK VPN usage doubled in July 2025. Geo-targeting can't account for VPN users, but a global interstitial doesn't need to.
At zori.bio, our analytics show that for creators with audiences in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, the majority of traffic already comes from regulated or soon-to-be-regulated jurisdictions. A global gate makes sense even before the legal arguments.
