FetLife is part of the BDSM community like clichés and prejudices. The Canadian platform describes itself as Facebook for the kink community. Launched in 2008, the black-and-red platform’s name is derived from the word “fetish.” In July 2020, the “Network Perversion,” as it was referred to by reporter Manuel Möglich in a German documentary about the platform, counted nearly nine million members. Approximately 150,000 of them are from Germany.
Like Facebook. But in black and explicit.
To sign up for FetLife, you need a phone number, an email address, and must be of legal age. Similar to Facebook, users create individual profiles where they can specify their age, approximate location, relationship status, roles, and very specific sexual preferences. Photos and videos, often explicit, add to the platform’s appeal.
Through forums, users on Fetlife can exchange ideas, network, and interact by liking and commenting on each other’s uploaded content. Additionally, they can find information about scene events, workshops, and local meetings like BDSM munches. However, since FetLife was consciously designed to mimic a social network rather than a dating site, the social aspect predominates. For instance, there’s no search function to find users based on specific preferences.
FetLife cannot be found on Google everywhere
The issue: FetLife has been criticized in the past for not taking strict enough action against members and content that cross boundaries. So be cautious when interacting, sharing personal data and information, and don’t hesitate to report or block anyone who doesn’t respect your limits.
For youth protection reasons, in some countries the site is also not listed on Google because it has been classified as potentially harmful to minors, like in Germany by the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors (Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien). This means it cannot be found through search engines, only via direct links. While this classification does not censor or prohibit the platform itself, it prohibits public promotion or display. Therefore, no direct link will be provided here.
