Performers Seek to Drop Blacklisting Lawsuit Against Meta

Performers Seek to Drop Blacklisting Lawsuit Against Meta

SAN FRANCISCO — Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby informed a California federal court on Monday that they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent.

As XBIZ reported, Evans, Pierce and Ruby originally filed the civil lawsuit in February 2022 against OnlyFans and its owner, as well as Instagram and Facebook’s parent company, Meta. The suit replicated claims from an earlier lawsuit filed on behalf of FanCentro in November 2021, alleging a conspiracy to engage in “tortious interference with contract and intentional interference with prospective business.”

The proposed class action, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, “accused Meta of blocking social media posts from adult entertainers who compete with artists who perform exclusively on OnlyFans’ subscription platform,” Law 360 reported.

In their motion to dismiss, the three performers “said their lawyers recently met with Meta’s counsel and were told that the company didn’t have the evidence that would back their case’s key theory,” which alleged that “their posts were filtered through a database the Meta social media sites use to flag and remove content produced by ‘dangerous individuals and organizations,’ to help curtail the spread of terrorism and violent extremism online,” Law 360 reported.

The plaintiffs say Meta informed them that the company “found no evidence that any competitor platform was currently on the list, or had been nominated for inclusion.”

According to their motion, “based on the information Meta defendants provided, the information essential to plaintiffs’ class allegations is not available,” making further discovery efforts “futile.”

The plaintiffs also stated that Meta provided “ambiguous and incomplete responses” to their questions and that they were told that “there is no archived version of the blacklist, which changes over time. There’s also no automated process for making additions to the list … as each entry goes through a nomination and review process,” Law 360 reported. “After hearing from Meta and acknowledging the lack of data, the performers told the court that they couldn’t move forward in federal court with their federal class claims, the only basis they alleged for federal jurisdiction.”

Meta also filed a motion to the court on Monday, seeking summary judgment.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup is scheduled to hear both motions on April 24.

As XBIZ reported, in July, Alsup dismissed claims against OnlyFans’ parent companies, Fenix International Ltd. and Fenix Internet LLC, and against owner Leon Radvinsky, following the plaintiffs’ disavowal of allegations that wire transfers were used to bribe senior Meta executives.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Hentaied Founder Romero 'Mr. Alien' on Fetish, Fantasy and Finding Order in Chaos

A sharp sting pierces the woman’s skin. Something foreign slips beneath the surface. Eggs, maybe. She doesn’t know it yet, but soon her body will become a vessel, a hive, a source of contamination.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for July, August

AEBN has published the top search terms for the months of July and August from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Guardian Devotes Feature Article to XBIZ Amsterdam

British newspaper The Guardian sent a reporter to cover XBIZ Amsterdam earlier this month, resulting in a lengthy article about the annual European adult industry conference.

Pineapple Support Taps Char Borley as Brand Ambassador

Pineapple Support has named Char Borley as its newest brand ambassador.

Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Florida AG Sues Aylo, Segpay Over State AV Law

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed lawsuits against Aylo and Segpay on Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida for noncompliance with HB3, the state's age verification law.

Colombian Court Sides with Performer Esperanza Goméz Over IG Suspensions

Colombia’s Constitutional Court last week ruled in favor of adult performer Esperanza Gómez in her legal battle against Meta over repeated suspensions of her Instagram account.

Missouri AG Announces Age Verification Rule to Take Effect Nov. 30

Newly appointed Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced Friday that the state's recently approved age verification regulation for adult websites will go into effect on Nov. 30.

Aylo, Woodhull Freedom Foundation to Tackle Online Censorship in Virtual Seminar

Aylo and Woodhull Freedom Foundation will co-host a virtual panel addressing online censorship on Sept. 30.

Severe Sex Films Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Severe Sex Films has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Show More