Is X working on NSFW Communities for adult content?

It seems that X is working on features allowing the administrators of "Communities," the platform's tool for groups similar to subreddits, to designate spaces as containing "adult content."

This change was confirmed by an X engineer amid reports that Elon Musk-owned company was working on activating NSFW groups.

Ongoing adjustments

In an article on X, engineer Dong Wook Chung noted that "soon" NSFW content would be automatically filtered in the Communities feature of the app. "Admins can now set 'adult content' in the settings to avoid automatic filtering of content," Chung stated.

Precedents and speculation

As Bloomberg reported, researchers had previously spotted clues that X planned to enable settings for "adult-sensitive" content. X allows users to share nudity and other "graphic" content but does not permit it in certain parts of the app, such as profile pictures and cover images of Communities.

Context and evolution

The Communities feature on X predates the company's acquisition by Musk. Twitter began experimenting with the idea in 2021, claiming it would provide "a more intimate space for conversations" on the platform. Although Twitter never publicly discussed enabling NSFW features for Communities, the app permitted adult content, unlike most of its social media peers. The company was rumored to have considered creating a competitor to OnlyFans with its creator subscription product in 2022. According to the Platformer newsletter, the project was ultimately abandoned due to concerns it would "exacerbate" the company's issues related to illegal child exploitation content.

Concerns and safety measures

It is unclear whether X's current management has addressed these concerns. In another article, Chung, the X engineer, stated that the new filtering settings "aim to make Communities safer for everyone by automatically filtering" adult content. "Only users who have specified their age will be able to search for Communities with NSFW content."

A delicate balance

While X appears to be moving towards enabling NSFW features for its Communities, it remains to be seen how this will be received by users and what the potential impacts on content safety and regulation might be. The platform seems to be seeking a balance between free expression and protection against inappropriate content, but this could prove to be a significant challenge in an ever-evolving environment.