X is in the process of developing features that will allow admins of its “Communities,” akin to subreddit-like groups, to designate these spaces as containing “adult content.” This change was confirmed by an engineer at X amidst reports indicating that the company, owned by Elon Musk, was working on enabling NSFW (Not Safe for Work) groups.
Read: Microsoft claims it’s made a massive leap in quantum computing
In a post on X, engineer Dong Wook Chung mentioned that NSFW content would soon be automatically filtered within the app’s Communities feature. Chung stated, “Admins can now set ‘Adult content’ in Settings to avoid auto-filtering of the content.”
As Bloomberg reported, earlier indications suggested that X intended to introduce settings for “adult-sensitive” content. While X allows users to share nudity and other “graphic” content, certain parts of the app, such as profile photos and cover images for Communities, do not permit its display.
X’s Communities feature predates Musk’s acquisition of the company. Twitter began experimenting with the concept in 2021, aiming to create “a more intimate space for conversations” on the platform. Although Twitter never publicly discussed enabling NSFW features for Communities, the app allowed adult content, unlike most other social media platforms.
In 2022, the company reportedly explored the idea of launching an OnlyFans competitor through its creator subscription product. However, this plan was ultimately abandoned, according to the Platformer newsletter, due to concerns that it could exacerbate the company’s issues with illegal child exploitation content.
It remains unclear whether X’s current leadership has addressed these concerns. In a separate post, Chung, the X engineer, emphasized that the new filtering settings aim to “make Communities safer for everyone by automatically filtering out” adult content. He added that only users who have specified their age will be able to search for Communities containing NSFW content.
