X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has updated its terms of service to officially allow NSFW content. The new rules permit adult material, with the exception of profile pictures and banners.
As reported by TechCrunch, X has updated its guidelines to permit users to “share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior,” provided it is properly labeled and not displayed in prominent locations like profile pictures or banners.
Following the update, the @Safety account tweeted, “We have launched Adult Content and Violent Content policies to bring more clarity to 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.”
Previously, X (formerly Twitter) did not explicitly ban pornographic content, becoming a haven for some NSFW creators after the launch of Twitter Blue (now X Premium), where creators could monetize their content similarly to OnlyFans. NSFW content could become a revenue stream for X, which has experienced a decline in ad sales since Elon Musk’s acquisition.
X has new rules that officially allow porn now
The platform will require users who “regularly post” NSFW content to adjust their settings to mark their images and videos as sensitive content. X’s rules apply to all adult content, whether AI-generated, photographic, or animated. By default, users who are not 18 or have not entered their birth date cannot view NSFW material. The new rules also prohibit content that promotes “exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualization, or harm to minors, and obscene behaviors.”
In March, X announced it would allow NSFW communities to apply an “Adult Content” label to prevent posts from being automatically filtered. Additionally, the platform stated it would start hiding likes on profiles to avoid exposing accounts for engaging with adult or objectionable content.
Despite these changes in the terms of service, enforcing these rules presents challenges. This difficulty was considered by the Twitter team when exploring the monetization of adult content in 2022. For example, explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift appeared on X in January, and the platform struggled to immediately stop their spread.
Other social platforms have faced similar issues with NSFW content. In 2018, Tumblr banned adult content after its app was removed from the App Store due to posts containing child sexual abuse material. Although Tumblr later revised its policy to allow some adult material, the ban initially led to a significant drop in traffic. Payment processors such as Mastercard and Visa have also cut off payments on Pornhub and enforced bans on other platforms, prompting sites like Patreon, eBay, and OnlyFans to introduce stricter rules regarding adult content.
