Elon Musk’s tech company, X, formerly known as Twitter, has officially permitted adult and graphic content on its platform, shaking up its previous guidelines. Over time, Twitter had become known for its leniency towards adult content, allowing it to exist on the platform in contrast to other social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
According to recent guidelines, users are now formally able to share adult content, including nudity or sexual behavior, given it is consensually created and distributed. The reinforced regulations indicate that “sexual expression, visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression.”
Adult content must comply with specific parameters, including being aptly labelled and not prominently displayed in areas like account banners or profile pictures. Regular posters of adult content will need to categorize their image and video content as sensitive. Importantly, safeguards are in place to protect underage users and adults who choose not to view adult content.
These changes come amid criticisms facing Musk for purportedly cutting down content moderation teams upon purchasing Twitter in 2022. He was also criticised for reinstating accounts of right-wing figures and former US President Donald Trump. Despite these controversies, Musk plans to diversify X’s revenue stream and transform it into a unified application similar to China’s WeChat.
Allowing pornography on Twitter, which allows users as young as 13, will inevitably expose the youth to dangerous content. This decision is a reflection of the degeneration of our culture, where now sexually explicit material and its sale is not only accepted but encouraged.