The social network X (formerly Twitter) has long had many active communities with explicit content (NSFW, not safe for work). Although previously the platform unofficially allowed people to post adult content, the rules never explicitly prohibited or allowed such content.
Over the weekend, X Twitter added to its rules norms that officially allow users to post adult content on the platform, particularly graphic content, with a few caveats. It is permissible to post NSFW content created with consent if it is clearly marked as such. The new rules also apply to videos and images created by artificial intelligence. The rule change is not entirely unexpected, as under the guidance of Elon Musk, X has already experimented with officially hosting adult content in NSFW communities.
"We believe that users should have the ability to create, distribute, and consume materials related to sexual themes if they are produced and distributed with consent. Sexual self-expression, visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression. We believe in the autonomy of adults in interacting and creating content that reflects their own beliefs, desires, and experiences, including those related to sexuality. We balance this freedom by restricting access to adult content for children or adult users who have chosen not to see it," the X Adult Content help page says.
X's rules regarding violent content also have similar guidelines, but X claims that content should not be "excessively bloody or depict sexual violence." The platform continues to prohibit content that explicitly threatens or promotes violence.
- The social network does not allow users under the age of 18 or individuals who have not specified their date of birth in their profile to view such posts.
X has never actually banned pornography, but these provisions could allow it to create services around adult content. Competition with services like OnlyFans could help increase revenue.
According to a 2022 Reuters report, citing internal company documents, approximately 13% of posts on the platform contained adult content. Since then, the amount of adult content on X has evidently increased, with porn bots spreading on the platform.
Now that the social network has officially allowed adult content, regulators must closely monitor X and its efforts to remove unauthorized pornography. In October of last year, Australia fined X for failing to provide information about content related to child abuse. Around the same time, India reached out to several social networks, including X, demanding the removal of such posts.
Source: TechCrunch
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