SAN FRANCISCO (BP)—Consensual adult content including nudity and sex is now OK on X, formalizing an unstated practice allowed when the platform was called Twitter.
Pornographic images and acts may be shared whether they depict actual humans, cartoons, anime or hentai—a sexualized form of anime—or are photographic or generated by artificial intelligence, X said in announcing the policy.
“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. We balance this freedom by restricting exposure to Adult Content for children or adult users who choose not to see it,” X said in the policy update.
“We also prohibit content promoting exploitation, nonconsent, 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.”
Southern Baptist ethicist Jason Thacker called the policy “extremely disturbing and dangerous for all involved—especially minors and women,” but said it simply formalizes a longstanding policy at Twitter/X regarding pornography.
“This policy change is no surprise to those working on these issues, especially in light of the false connections drawn between free speech and pornography in contemporary law and society,” said Thacker, senior fellow and director of the research institute at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
“Regardless of the promised protections or restrictions put in place, this will inevitably expand the accessibility and prevalence of this deeply dehumanizing content that is inherently exploitative of all involved and corrosive to society at large,” said Thacker, also an assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Boyce College and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The formal change comes as X’s usage has dropped 30 percent since 2023, with 19 percent of the U.S. population using the platform in 2024, a decrease from the 27 percent who used the platform in 2023 and 2022, Edison Research reported in March. The numbers refer to active users, not those who simply hold accounts that are mostly dormant.
Will it trigger an Exodus from X?
The policy change could cause the platform to lose more users—including a Christian author and speaker with a huge following on social media.
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“Ok, you guys. This dramatically changes things,” Beth Moore posted on June 4. “I’ve so not wanted to leave this site because of the community we developed. Dialogue. Insight. Hilarity. Silliness. The praying for one another. Celebrating victories and mourning losses. What shall we do?”
In the thread that followed the initial post, Moore explained pornography “is very offensive to me but it doesn’t tempt me.”
“One thing that worries me is that we sure have numerous people in our community who’ve struggled with it. Is it irresponsible of us, then, to stay?” she asked.
At the same time, Moore lamented the loss of online community if she does withdraw from the platform.
“Disrupting the community we found here—new friends we made who are now important to our well-being—will be like leaving our hometown,” she wrote.
Hershael York, dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary School of Theology, tweeted plans June 4 to end his account.
“Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?” he wrote, quoting James 3:11. “Friends, I cannot in good conscience remain on X any longer. I’ve tried to use it redemptively, but now this is too much. I’ll remove my account by the end of the day.”
Previously named to the Dirty Dozen
The social media platform established a reputation as a pornography hub before Elon Musk acquired it, with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation naming the site for several years to the center’s Dirty Dozen list of the top mainstream contributors to sexual exploitation.
“Twitter has been an online pornography outlet, strip club and sex shop all rolled into one,” the center blogged in 2017, “and this seedy XXX material is available to children and adults. This social media site hosts a slew of accounts that are essentially ads for pornography performers and studios, as well as prostitution.”
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation last named Twitter to the Dirty Dozen list in 2023.
Adults over age 18 may opt out of viewing adult content, X said, and users may report unmarked content or other violations.
X defines adult content as “any consensually produced and distributed material depicting adult nudity or sexual behavior that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal,” including full or partial nudity with close-ups of targeted body parts, and explicit or implied sexual behavior or simulated acts.
Among its stipulations for posting such content, X said, “We ask that you please adjust your media settings,” to place images and videos behind a content warning that must be acknowledged before viewing the media.” For those who “continue to fail” marking their posts, X will make the adjustments itself, the policy states.
The platform said it will block content from users under age 18 and accounts without the user’s date of birth, and will maintain other rules related to age restrictions
With additional reporting by Managing Editor Ken Camp.
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