Users have expressed outrage over Elon Musk’s X after the billionaire officially allowed porn on the platform.
Sexually explicit content has existed since before Musk took ownership of the social media site in 2022, but was not officially allowed until now.
The policy for such content, updated Monday, states that porn is “a legitimate form of artistic expression,” but the content will be flagged so that users under 18 cannot view it.
But the frustration comes as users claimed they are now seeing more porn since the announcement, and expressed concerns about not being able to open the app around young family members or at work for fear of exposing them to sexually explicit content get to see.
Elon Musk (pictured) officially allows users to post porn on X and users are outraged at seeing the unwanted content on their feed and are calling for a ban
Some users called for a ban, saying they don’t want to see porn on X, which will cause people to leave the app
X’s new policy has put some users in a difficult position, with several saying they will leave the platform if the content continues to appear on their feed.
One user went so far as to say he had seen more porn on the site than actual news, while others called for a complete ban and suggested Musk open a separate app where people could view the material.
“If Elon wants porn on
“I don’t want to watch animal and nature videos with my niece and be on the lookout in case porn pops up and I have to leave quickly.”
X spokesperson Joe Benarroch told DailyMail.com that users will only see content from the adult creator if they follow that person’s prompts.
“It needs to be searched for and then followed before it appears in your ‘For You’ feed,” Benarroch said.
“For comparison, this is almost identical to how users search for adult content on Google.”
The permitted adult content includes photos, videos, anime and AI-generated material that depicts full or partial nudity and “explicit or implied sexual conduct or simulated acts such as intercourse and other sexual acts,” the policy says.
The policy also introduced restrictions that prohibit child pornography and non-consensual material.
The platform said that if a user does not want to see the content, they should adjust their media settings by clicking on the ‘more’ icon and selecting the ‘settings and privacy’ option from the drop-down menu and checking the content you want don’t want. don’t want to see it.
However, according to
X has banned adult content that includes exploitation, objectification, sexualization or harm to minors, obscene behavior, or non-consensual images and videos.
One user complained that she can’t scroll through X around her niece without fear of porn popping up
Despite X claiming that people can remove the unwanted sexually explicit content from their feed, people still complain about seeing endless amounts of porn
Another user said they can’t open their X account at work or around family because porn keeps popping up on their feed
Porn content creators must adjust their media settings to place all images and videos behind a content warning that must be acknowledged and approved by the user before it can be viewed.
If the posts are not flagged correctly, X said in the post that it will adjust the creator account settings for them.
Benarroch clarified that the porn addition “is not a new policy, but was simply launched to clarify our policy language for all users and partners.”
“Our enforcement has not changed,” he continued, adding that “this newly defined policy simply replaces our previous policy on sensitive media and violent speech.”
Users don’t want porn forced on them, with one person claiming they are ‘exposed to more porn on X than real news’
People are complaining that Musk has ruined the app since acquiring it for $44 billion in 2022
Porn has always been present on X, but this is the first time the company has added rules and guidelines to clarify what is and isn’t allowed on the platform
The company’s move to formally allow adult content aligns well with the company’s post-Musk marketing strategy, said Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor of communications at Cornell University. Variety.
“X is unapologetically provocative and has sought to differentiate itself from ‘brand-safe’ competitors such as Meta, YouTube and TikTok,” she continued.
“The company appears to be courting those employees – including creators and artists – who have been marginalized by platform guidelines that tend to restrict nudity or sexual expression.”
Porn was never explicitly limited to X, there were just no specific parameters and guidelines.
Before Musk’s acquisition of X, then Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022, adult content accounted for about 13 percent of posts. Reuters reported at the time.
Under the new guidelines, X is working to improve its policies by using machine learning technology to ensure the rules are enforced.
He further clarified that “this type of content is not monetizable and therefore no advertisements will appear alongside this content.”