⚠️ Adult content is being sanitized and squeezed off the internet in a way that it never has been before.

You should care, you should talk about it, you should know why it is different now and a big deal.

THREAD 🧵1/

Over the last month or so, sites that creators, SWs, writers, and artists use have been drastically updating their TOS.

Patreon, Gumroad, JustForFans, Pixiv Fanbox, and others have cited pressure from payment processors in these changes.

2/

These updates are sweeping. Furry stuff, hypnosis, depictions of drugs, any CNC, choking, among many other things or a full ban.

SWs have seen these kinds of updates hit sites before. Fansites have content guidelines barring many consensual depictions of kink.

3/

WHAT IS NEW:

- Art and writing is included in these bans.

IRL content is fictional too, but previously bans like this have been about 'exploitation of models' (and other stuff).

This is PURELY now about sanitizing content. Writing especially has never been a target.

4/

- This is all happening at once.

Sites are folding quickly to pressure, each citing payment processors as the issue.

In the past, creators have had livelihoods stripped by bans but always had another place to go to try to build back up.

THEY ARE ALL DISAPPEARING.

5/

- Mainstream journos aren't covering this.

The OF/PH issues that shed light on payment processor pressure had publications covering it.

There is basically no news except grassroots word of mouth.

Journalism is struggling hard as an industry, and that's really bad for us.

6/

This is a kind of perfect storm to quietly shut out adult content and take away livelihoods of creators who are largely marginalized minorities.

It is intentionally sanitizing the kind of adult content people want to consensually create and consume.

7/

It will not stop here. There is a concerted effort to remove ALL adult content from the internet, being pushed by payment processors and lawmakers in several states. And of course queer expression has been included in that 'content.'

8/

IF THEY'RE SMART, what they're hoping for is for this to happen QUIETLY. They won't pressure itchio or Amazon yet to remove adult games and erotica because of the pushback they'll get. Right now, people aren't talking about this nearly enough. That's what they want.

9/

If you're an active journalist and you happen to see this, I urge you to take on a piece about it -- we need your help.

If you're a creator, talk about it. If you're a consumer, talk about it.

10/

SIGN THE PETITION for the ACLU to open up an FTC investigation into MasterCard.

This is currently our best option for action.

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action.aclu.org/petition/maste…