Adult content to be officially allowed on Elon Musk’s X after policy update

Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter has updated its policies to formally allow adult content.

Under the new guidelines, the platform will allow users to share sexualised content provided it is consensual and clearly labelled.

This new policy was announced by the company on June 3 in a tweet via its Safety X handle.

“Users should be able to create, distribute, and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed”.

“Sexual expression, whether visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression,” it says.

“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.”

The revised policy will restrict adult content for children and adult users who wish not to see the sexual content.

We have launched Adult Content and Violent Content policies to bring more clarity of 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.

Adult…

— Safety (@Safety) June 3, 2024

Users will also not be allowed to share content “promoting exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and obscene behaviours”, the policy stated.

The move confirms a more accepting stance toward sexual content that existed before Musk bought Twitter in October 2022.

Unlike platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, Twitter has never expressly banned nudity and sexualised content.

Under Musk’s tenure, X has dramatically scaled back moderation on the platform and reinstated previously banned accounts, including those of former United States President Donald Trump and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Musk has argued that he is upholding freedom of speech, but critics have accused the Tesla CEO of encouraging hate speech and misinformation.