Photo Credit:Reuters
X has officially updated its terms of service to allow consensual NSFW content, with certain restrictions. According to TechCrunch, the updated guidelines permit users to “share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behaviour” provided it is properly labelled and not displayed in prominent locations such as profile pictures or banners.
The @Safety account on X tweeted, “We have launched Adult Content and Violent Content policies to bring more clarity of our Rules and transparency into enforcement of these areas. These policies replace our former Sensitive Media and Violent Speech policies - but what we
enforce against hasn’t changed.” Brooke Erin Duffy, a communication professor at Cornell University, notes that “X is unapologetically provocative and has sought to distinguish itself from ‘brand-safe’ competitors” such as Meta, YouTube and TikTok.
Previously, X did not explicitly ban porn, and the platform became a hub for NSFW creators, especially after the launch of Twitter Blue (now X Premium). The new rules, however, require users who regularly post NSFW content to mark their images and videos as sensitive content. By default, users under 18 or those who haven't entered their birth date cannot view NSFW material. The guidelines prohibit content promoting exploitation, non-consent, objectification, sexualization, or harm to minors, as well as obscene behaviors.
According to X, adult content is any “consensually produced and distributed material depicting adult nudity or sexual behaviour that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal,” which includes AI-generated, photographic or animated content.
Despite the policy updates, enforcing these rules remains challenging. Explicit AI-generated images have already caused issues and other platforms have faced similar struggles in maintaining NSFW communities. Additionally, payment processors like Mastercard and Visa have enforced bans on platforms hosting adult content, affecting sites like Pornhub, eBay and OnlyFans.
