Social media platform X says it will now formally allow people to show consensual adult content, as long as it is clearly labeled as such. The move makes official a policy that existed when the platform was still known as Twitter, before billionaire Elon Musk bought it in 2022.
In a recent update On its website, the San Francisco-based company said users “should be able to create, distribute and consume material relating to sexual themes, as long as it is produced and distributed in a consensual manner. Sexual expression, both visual and written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression.”
Adult material was also allowed under the pre-Musk Twitter, although no official policy existed. X said it restricts adult content to children and to adult users who choose not to see it.
“We also prohibit content that promotes exploitation, non-consent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and obscene behavior,” X said. It added that sharing adult content in “highly visible” places such as the profile photos or user banners.
X's policy contrasts with other social media platforms, such as Meta's properties – Instagram and Facebook – as well as TikTok and Google's YouTube.
“The platform's move to allow 'adult content' aligns well with the company's post-Musk marketing strategy,” said Brooke Erin Duffy, associate professor of communications at Cornell University. “X is unapologetically provocative and has tried to differentiate itself from being 'brand safe'. 'competitors'.
The company appears to be courting people, including creators and artists, who have been marginalized by other social media platforms that have guidelines limiting nudity or sexual expression, she added.
The policy applies to both real and AI-generated material.
X asks users who regularly post adult content to adjust their media settings to put all their images and videos behind a content warning. This requires users to acknowledge that they want to see the posted image before they can view it.
