Finally formally living up to its name, X is now officially allowing users to share consensual adult content, provided it is appropriately labeled and restricted. The move formalizes a practice that was already in place before billionaire Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022.

According to the company’s Adult Content Policy, updated May 2024, X recognizes that sexual expression, whether visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression. The platform permits users to create, distribute, and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed.

However, X is implementing measures it says would protect children and adult users who prefer not to view such content. The platform prohibits content that promotes exploitation, nonconsent, objectification, sexualization, or harm to minors, as well as obscene behaviors.

Additionally, adult content is not allowed in areas of the platform that are “highly visible,” such as users’ profile photos or banners.

It remains unclear how these measures will be implemented. After his takeover in 2022, Elon Musk fired the team that moderated the content and tracked abuse of the platform’s content policy. Last year, two safety executives left the company amid rising moderation concerns. And more recently, X saw an advertiser exodus after the think tank Media Matters reported that ads from major advertisers like IBM, Disney, and Apple appeared alongside content that promoted Hitler and the Nazi Party. 

This new move, which also comes over a year after the company also relaxed its rules for cannabis advertising, is seen as an attempt to appeal to creators and artists who feel restricted by other mainstream platforms.

The new policy applies to both real and artificial-intelligence-generated material. X requires users who regularly post adult content to adjust their media settings, placing all their images and videos behind a content warning that users must acknowledge before viewing the posted content.

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