Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) has officially announced that it will allow the sharing of adult content on its platform, albeit with certain restrictions and guidelines. The platform is already plagued by porn bots spreading links to OnlyFans profiles and other XXX content, with an estimated 13% of all posts already consisting of pornographic content.
variety Reports X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, recently updated its usage policy to allow users to share “consensually produced and distributed” adult content. The move marks a notable shift in the platform’s stance on adult content, as it seeks to balance freedom of expression with the protection of its users, especially minors. Twitter’s previous plans to turn itself into a porn site were halted when the company realized it had no ability to police child pornography.
Elon Musk’s Halloween costume (Taylor Hill/Getty)
According to the updated adult content policy, users are allowed to share adult nudity and sexual acts as long as the content is properly labeled. X/Twitter emphasizes the importance of consent and autonomy, saying adults should be able to engage with and create content that reflects their own beliefs, desires and experiences, including around sexuality.
However, the platform also recognizes the need to limit exposure to adult content for children and users who do not want to see such content. X/Twitter prohibits content that is exploitative, non-consensual, objectifying, sexually explicit, harms minors, and promotes lewd behavior. Sharing adult content in prominent places, such as profile pictures or banners, is also not permitted.
Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor of communications at Cornell University, believes the move fits well with X’s marketing strategy since Musk left the company. She notes that the platform has been “unapologetically provocative” and has sought to differentiate itself from “brand-safe” competitors like Meta, YouTube and TikTok. By allowing adult content, X/Twitter appears to be trying to attract creators and artists who have been restricted by platform guidelines that punish nudity and sexuality.
It’s worth noting that before Musk acquired Twitter, the platform already allowed some form of adult content: In October 2022, just before Musk’s acquisition officially closed, the company estimated that 13% of all posts on the platform contained adult content.
To ensure compliance with the new policy, X/Twitter is encouraging users who regularly post adult content to adjust their media settings to place images and videos behind content warnings that users must review before viewing the media. Users under the age of 18 or who do not have their date of birth listed on their profile will not be able to view posts marked as adult content.
X/Twitter has also taken steps to enforce its policies, saying the platform will adjust users’ account settings if they continue to fail to properly mark posts. Users can use the app’s reporting feature to report unmarked adult content or other violations, and have the right to appeal the decision if they believe a mistake has been made.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
