The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, now permits porn. The social media site has updated its guidelines to permit the sharing of “consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior.” Under the new guidelines, this material must be labeled appropriately and cannot appear in prominent locations such as profile pictures or banners.
Prior to these changes, X did not explicitly ban pornography. The platform became a popular avenue for NSFW creators following the introduction of Twitter Blue — now rebranded as X Premium — where creators could charge followers to access their content, similar to the model employed by OnlyFans. The new rules could potentially create a new revenue stream for X, which has experienced a decline in advertising sales since Elon Musk acquired the company.
Users who consistently post NSFW content will be required to mark their images and videos as sensitive content. X’s guidelines apply to all types of adult content, including AI-generated images, photographs, and animations. By default, users under 18 or those who have not entered their birth date will not be able to view NSFW material.
The updated guidelines also prohibit content that promotes exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and other obscene behaviors. In March, X announced it would allow NSFW communities to use an “Adult Content” label to prevent posts from being automatically filtered.
Despite the new rules, enforcement remains a challenge. In January, explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift spread on X, and the platform struggled to curtail their dissemination quickly.
X saw a significant increase in adult-related content following Musk’s decision to cut content teams, and the new changes may be a belated acknowledgment of an already existing reality.
