Elon Musk's X now allows pornographic content, but will restrict access for individuals under 18

X, formerly known as Twitter, has introduced new rules permitting explicit material on its site, however, access will be restricted for individuals below 18 or those who choose not to opt-in to see it, as reported by The Guardian.

This choice is made as social media platforms face growing demands to restrict children's access to inappropriate content. Users who share adult content on X platform are now required to change their settings so that their images and videos are hidden behind a content warning.

The system will identify and modify account preferences for users who fail to indicate explicit content accurately. X has implemented comparable regulations to curb the dissemination of violent content, aiming to suppress the proliferation of violent language or media.

Adolescents have stated that they encounter a greater amount of pornographic content on X than on websites specifically for pornographic content. The online safety regulator in Australia has condemned Apple and Google for allowing X on their app stores, even though they contain adult content.

X is currently in a legal dispute with the Australian eSafety commissioner regarding the management of violent material, particularly tweets related to a stabbing incident in Sydney. The lawsuit is scheduled to be considered in a federal courtroom in June.

X's new policy follows the same standards as Apple's guidelines on adult content created by users. Although attempts have been made to limit access to unsuitable content, worries persist about the platform's capacity to stop users from using virtual private network connections to access said content.