Menu
For creatorsFor agenciesVerify a sealThe standardGet certified

The Above Board Standard

Ten things an agency, TikTok LIVE network or webcam studio must prove to earn the seal. Open any pillar to see its criteria.

1Legal identityA real, registered company with named owners.3 criteria, all required
  • 1.1Registered legal entity, with registry number and country.Required
  • 1.2Named beneficial owners disclosed to Above Board (kept private).Required
  • 1.3Real business address and working contact.Required
2Account controlCreators control their accounts and their payouts.4 criteria, all required
  • 2.1The creator owns the account and keeps control of it: the account email, password resets, two-factor authentication and payout details stay with the creator, who can cut off all agency access at any time. Where the platform offers official delegated access (Fansly Management Sessions, Fanvue Manager Accounts, TikTok's Creator Network tools), the agency uses it. Where it does not, such as OnlyFans, any staff access is limited to named people, logged, and never used to change credentials, payout details or ownership.Required
  • 2.2For agencies, platform payouts go only to the creator's own account, and the agency invoices for its share. For studios paid by the platform, criterion 9.4 applies.Required
  • 2.3Access is revoked within 7 days of the relationship ending.Required
  • 2.4No power of attorney or authority to sign for the creator, beyond specific tasks the creator approves in writing.Required
3Contract fairnessShort commitments, easy exit, no permanent rights or AI copies.7 criteria, 5 required
  • 3.1Commission rate and its base (gross fan spend, or net after platform fee) written in the contract.Required
  • 3.2Minimum commitment of 6 months or less: the creator can leave without penalty, on the notice in 3.3, at any time after at most 6 months.Required
  • 3.3Creator can exit with no more than 60 days' notice, with no exit penalty beyond commission already earned.Required
  • 3.4Content belongs to the creator; any license to the agency ends when the contract ends. No perpetual or irrevocable rights, and no assignment of the creator's content.Required
  • 3.5Treatment of tips stated.Scored
  • 3.6A performance clause lets the creator exit early if agreed targets are missed.Scored
  • 3.7No right to create AI-generated or digital-replica versions of the creator's face, body or voice without separate, specific written consent for each use, ending with the contract.Required
4Money matches paperThe commission charged is the commission signed.2 criteria, all required
  • 4.1Commission actually charged matches the contract rate, sampled across creators.Required
  • 4.2Monthly statements given to every creator.Required
5Verified rosterEvery creator named confirms it directly.2 criteria, all required
  • 5.1Every creator the agency names publicly confirms the relationship directly to Above Board.Required
  • 5.2No fabricated testimonials or earnings claims in marketing.Required
6OutcomesEarnings and retention, measured privately.2 scored criteria
  • 6.1Earnings before and after joining, from platform data with the creator's consent, or from statements as a fallback. (used in the audit; never published per agency or per creator)Scored
  • 6.2Creator retention at 12 months.Scored
7Chatters and staffHonest chat disclosure and fair pay for chat staff.3 criteria, 2 required
  • 7.1Written policy on who writes messages to fans, and how that is disclosed.Required for agencies using chatters
  • 7.2Chatter pay at or above the legal minimum wage where the chatter works, with written terms.Required for agencies using chatters
  • 7.3Anonymous chatter survey.Scored
8Age and consentID and consent for every performer, every time.3 criteria, all required
  • 8.1Government ID verification for every performer before any content or broadcast.Required
  • 8.2Consent records for every performer in every piece of content, retained as the law requires.Required
  • 8.3Zero tolerance: any evidence of a minor ends the audit and is reported to the authorities.Required
9Workplace (studios only)Safe conditions, full pay and the freedom to refuse.7 criteria, all required
  • 9.1Adequate ventilation, clean sanitary facilities and hygiene supplies provided free.Required
  • 9.2No cameras in restrooms or changing areas.Required
  • 9.3Scheduled breaks; no shift over 10 hours; working hours within local labor law.Required
  • 9.4The model's share is written down; she can see her own gross platform earnings for each pay period, and she is paid on a fixed schedule.Required
  • 9.5The model owns her account and following, or can take them with her when she leaves.Required
  • 9.6Models can refuse any act without penalty.Required
  • 9.7No fines, penalties or deductions from the model's share for lateness, missed targets or refusals, and no charges for rooms, equipment or supplies that were not agreed in writing in advance.Required
10Grievance channelCreators can report problems to us confidentially.2 criteria, all required
  • 10.1The agency or studio gives creators Above Board's confidential reporting channel.Required
  • 10.2Complaints are tracked to resolution; a confirmed serious complaint triggers a re-audit.Required

Required must pass to earn the seal. Scored is assessed and reported privately to the company.

Two certifications

Agency Verified

Creator agencies (OnlyFans, Fansly, Fanvue), TikTok LIVE networks and chat firms. Fully remote, about two weeks.

Studio Certified

Webcam studios. Remote review plus an unannounced site visit, about four weeks.

What we publish

  • VerifiedPassed every required criterion at the last audit.
  • Not verifiedNot audited, in progress, didn't pass, or expired. We never publish "failed".
  • RevokedSeal withdrawn after the company could respond and appeal.

The fine print

How we check, how we stay independent, and how the standard changes.

Download the full standardComment on the draft
Evidence we check
  • Company registry documents (pillar 1)
  • Platform access settings and logs, confirmed by the creator (2)
  • Contracts, clause by clause (3)
  • Payout data against invoices and statements (4)
  • Private confirmations from creators (5)
  • Platform earnings data, with creator consent (6)
  • Policies, a payroll sample and anonymous surveys (7)
  • Age and identity verification logs (8)
  • An unannounced visit and private worker interviews (9)
  • Our own confidential intake records (10)
Independence rules
  1. A flat fee, agreed before the audit, the same whether it passes or fails.
  2. Auditors are paid per audit, never by result, and never by the audited company.
  3. No paid placement, rankings or advertising, ever.
  4. Every seal issued, renewed or revoked goes on a public, tamper-proof record. Only a fingerprint of the report is public; the report stays private.
  5. No personal data about creators is ever published.
  6. Changes to the method are versioned, dated and published before they apply.
Renewal, re-checks and appeals

Certifications last 12 months. We may re-check at any time after a credible complaint, and a confirmed serious complaint triggers a full re-audit.

A company may appeal any decision within 30 days. A reviewer who wasn't involved in the audit decides. A revocation is published only after the company has responded and any appeal is decided. A failed audit stays private, with a fix list and a free re-check within 90 days.

Changelog

Draft, revision 2 (October 19, 2026). Added 2.4 (power of attorney), 3.7 (AI likeness) and 9.7 (fines and deductions). Clarified 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3.4, 6.1, 7.2, 9.3 and 9.4. Added appeals; scored criteria are now reported privately.

First draft (October 18, 2026).

Version 1.0 is a public draft. Comments are welcome at hello@aboveboardstandard.com.