It’s been nearly two years since real-life Bond villain billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter and proceeded to institute a series of changes that have only made the social media platform even more of a mess to use (and that’s saying something).
For starters… why the name change to X? It doesn’t make sense, no one knows what we’re supposed to call “tweets” anymore, and everyone still refers to it as Twitter anyway!
Beyond that, the updates to X’s user experience under Musk’s muddled management have ranged from the infuriating (R.I.P. Twitter Circles) to the downright endangering (hate-speech and conspiracy theories have continued to proliferate in the app’s latest era).
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But it’s the app’s latest policy update that’s proven to be its most confusing yet: Apparently, adult content is now officially allowed on X???
We know what you’re thinking: “Wait a minute, if it wasn’t allowed before… then what have I been bookmarking and viewing in the privacy of my own home?”
Yes, X’s recent announcement that users may share “consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior” is what we in the industry like to call “redundant.” After all, NSFW content has been allowed on the app for quite some time, and it’s only increased in recent years.
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RIP Twitter Circles, August 2022 – October 2023. Gone way too soon.
In fact, according a report from Reuters, 13% of all posts on the platform contain some form of adult content. Honestly, sex and nudity appears so frequently on there, we’d probably advise you’re better off not scrolling through your feed in public! (Or is that just us?)
Unsurprisingly, the redundancy of this policy update has become the laughing stock of Gay Twitter™, with plenty of folks chiming in to share just how unnecessary the announcement was. Here are a few of our favorites:
What X’s adult content policy update really means
Okay, okay: We love to have a good laugh, but it’s important to acknowledge that there a few changes here, which (seemingly) will make X a more sex-positive place for those that want it to be—or not for those that don’t!
For starters, it really could’ve gone either way. Given all the changes the app has made in the last two years, it wasn’t necessarily a certainty that NSFW content would continue to be allowed. What this policy update does is formalize those permissions and protections, keeping in line with the platform’s free speech messaging.
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Twitter recently unveiled its new “X” logo/
And it’s obviously a huge win for sex workers and adult entertainers. While apps like Instagram and TikTok continue to crack down on nudity and certain kinds of sexual expression, X has asserted itself as a place where X-rated content creators are welcome to host and promote their work.
“Sexual expression, whether visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression,” the app writes in its policy update. “We believe in the autonomy of adults to engage with and create content that reflects their own beliefs, desires, and experiences, including those related to sexuality.”
And you know what? Touché, X! That might be one of the more progressive statements to have come from the company in its post-Musk era.
The flip-side of this is an increase in labels and restriction settings, so anything categorized as NSFW can only be seen by consenting adults, which seems more than fair.
“We balance this freedom by restricting exposure to Adult Content for children or adult users who choose not to see it,” X continues in its announcement. “We also prohibit content promoting exploitation, non-consent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and obscene behaviors. We also do not allow sharing Adult Content in highly visible places such as profile photos or banners.”
As a result, the app is encouraging its users who do post adult content to adjust their media settings, including options to show content warnings before all of your posts, or one-time warnings for individual posts. Failure to do so could result in the platform “adjust[ing] your account settings for you.”
Additionally, any X users who are under 18—or who do not include their birth date in their profile—will not be able to click on and view posts marked for adult content.
We’re… cautiously optimistic about it all? Sure, the “app formerly known as Twitter” has long been a place where nudes roam freely, but all you need to know is that the latest policy update doesn’t mean you’ll be seeing any more or less adult content on your timeline—unless you want to!
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Do you have “gay brain?” Take this test to find out…
A member of Gay Twitter™ posted an image of a store window and asked his followers whether their “gay brain” impacts how they read the slogan.
Kangol2
E M nearly k 1 ll 3d X.
Woody
Just the opposite
storm45701
Tell it to the investors, who have seen X profits suffer. Not to mention Tesla…
Kangol2
72% in lost value since EM bought it.
Woody
It’s not always about profits. That is not why he bought it.