Social media network X will now officially allow users to post pornographic content.
The firm had already opted not to remove such content which is prevalent across the platform. Now “consensually produced” photographic, AI-generated or animated content will be allowed except in “highly visible places such as profile photos or banners”.
Under the new Adult Content policy, any user who self-declares to be over 18 will be able to view pornography behind a content warning.
Backlash
X claimed: “Sexual expression, whether visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression. 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.”
But several users urged X to just “ban” pornography, highlighting that the social media network is used by children.
One user argued that banning “adult content completely would be good for society”.
Online Safety Act
Last year, the Government’s Online Safety Bill became law after receiving Royal Assent.
Ofcom is due to gradually implement the Act’s measures, which require both social media and pornography websites to implement age-verification measures that are “highly effective at correctly determining whether or not a particular user is a child”.
Earlier that year, England’s Children’s Commissioner’s Office found that the average age a child first sees pornography is 13, and 41 per cent of 16 to 21-year-olds said they had seen more on X than porn websites.
Young people may watch porn even more than thought