X has updated its guidelines to permit users to “share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behaviour,” provided this content is labelled appropriately and not displayed in prominent locations like profile pictures or banners.
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Historically, X — formerly known as Twitter — did not explicitly ban pornography. It became a platform for NSFW creators, particularly after the launch of Twitter Blue (now X Premium), which allowed creators to monetize their content similarly to OnlyFans. With a decline in ad revenue since Elon Musk’s acquisition, NSFW content could present a new revenue stream for the platform.
Users who “regularly post” NSFW content must now mark their images and videos as sensitive. This rule applies to all forms of adult content, including AI-generated, photographic, and animated. By default, users under 18 or those who haven’t entered their birth date are restricted from viewing NSFW material. The new guidelines also prohibit content that promotes exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, and obscene behaviours.
In March, X announced it would allow NSFW communities to apply an “Adult Content” label to prevent automatic filtering of posts. Additionally, the platform mentioned it would start hiding likes on profiles, which had previously exposed accounts (like Ted Cruz’s) for liking adult or objectionable content.
Despite these policy changes, enforcing the rules remains a challenge. This concern was evident when Twitter explored monetizing adult content in 2022. For instance, explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift flooded X in January, and the platform struggled to control their spread promptly.
Other social media platforms have also faced difficulties with NSFW communities. Tumblr, for example, banned adult content in 2018 after its app was removed from the App Store due to posts containing child sexual abuse material. Although Tumblr later revised its policy to allow some adult material, traffic dipped significantly. Similarly, payment processors like Mastercard and Visa cut off payments to Pornhub and enforced bans on other platforms, prompting stricter rules around adult content on Patreon, eBay, and even OnlyFans.
