Twitter's Sensitive Media Policy

Overview

You may not post media that is graphic or share violent or adult nudity and sexual behavior within live video or in profile header, List banner images, or Community cover photos. Media depicting excessively gory content, sexual violence and/or assault, bestiality or necrophilia is also not permitted.

People use Twitter to show what’s happening in the world, often sharing images and videos as part of the conversation. Sometimes, this media can depict sensitive topics, including graphic content and adult nudity and sexual behavior. We recognize that some people may not want to be exposed to sensitive content, which is why we balance allowing people to share this type of media with helping people who want to avoid it to do so.

For this reason, you can’t include graphic content or adult nudity and sexual behavior within areas that are highly visible on Twitter, including in live video, profile, header, List banner images, or Community cover photos. If you share this content on Twitter, you need to mark your account as sensitive. Doing so places images and videos behind an interstitial (or warning message), that needs to be acknowledged before your media can be viewed. Using this feature means that people who don’t want to see sensitive media can avoid it, or make an informed decision before they choose to view it. We also restrict specific sensitive media, such as adult nudity and sexual behavior, for viewers who are under 18 or viewers who do not include a birth date on their profile. Learn more about age restricted content here.

Under this policy, there are also some types of sensitive media content that we don’t allow at all, because they have the potential to normalize violence and cause distress to those who view them.

We group sensitive media content into the following categories:

Graphic content

Graphic content is any media that depicts death, violence, medical procedures, or serious physical injury in graphic detail. Some examples include, but are not limited to, depictions of:

violent crimes or accidents;

physical fights;

physical child abuse;

bodily fluids including blood, feces, semen etc.;

serious physical harm, including visible wounds; and

severely injured or mutilated animals.

Note: exceptions may be made for documentary or educational content.

Adult nudity and sexual behavior

Adult nudity and sexual behavior is any consensually produced and distributed media that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal. Some examples include, but are not limited to, depictions of:

full or partial nudity, including close-ups of genitals, buttocks, or breasts (excluding content related to breastfeeding);

simulated sexual acts; and

sexual intercourse or other sexual acts – this also applies to cartoons, hentai, or anime involving humans or depictions of animals with human-like features.

Note: exceptions may be made for artistic, medical, health, or educational content.

For content that was created or distributed without the consent of those featured, please refer to our non-consensual nudity policy.

Violent sexual conduct

Violent sexual conduct is any media that depicts violence, whether real or simulated, in association with sexual acts. Some examples include, but are not limited to, depictions of:

rape and other forms of violent sexual assault, or sexual acts that occur without the consent of participants, including a simulated lack of consent; and

sexualized violence – inflicting physical harm on an individual within an intimate setting, where it is not immediately obvious if those involved have consented to take part.

Bestiality and necrophilia

Bestiality is any media that depicts sexual acts between a human and an animal. Necrophilia is any media that depicts sexuals acts between a living human and a human corpse.

Gratuitous gore

Gratuitous gore is any media that depicts excessively graphic or gruesome content related to death, violence or severe physical harm, or graphic content that is shared for sadistic purposes. Some examples include, but are not limited to, depictions of:

dismembered or mutilated humans;

charred or burned human remains;

exposed internal organs or bones; and

animal torture or killing.

Note: exceptions may be made for religious sacrifice, food preparation or processing, and hunting.

For deceased individuals, please refer to our Deceased individuals policy.

What is in violation of this policy?

Our aim is to limit exposure to sensitive images and videos and to prevent the sharing of potentially disturbing types of sensitive media. For this reason, we differentiate our enforcement approach depending on the type of media that has been shared and where it has been shared.

Graphic content and adult nudity and sexual behavior

you can’t target people with unsolicited images or videos that contain graphic content, adult nudity and sexual behavior; and

you can’t include graphic content or adult nudity and sexual behavior within live video, profile, header, List banner images, or Community cover photos.

Violent sexual conduct, bestiality, necrophilia, and gratuitous gore

We strictly prohibit violent sexual conduct, bestiality, and necrophilia to prevent the normalization of sexual assault and non-consensual violence associated with sexual acts. We prohibit gratuitous gore content because research has shown that repeated exposure to excessively graphic content online may negatively impact an individual’s wellbeing. For these reasons, you can’t share images or videos that depict violent sexual conduct or gratuitous gore on Twitter.

Note: very limited exceptions may be made for gory media associated with newsworthy events.

What is not a violation of this policy?

You can share graphic content and consensually produced adult nudity and sexual behavior content within your Tweets, provided that you mark this media as sensitive.

Who can report violations of this policy?

Anyone can report potential violations of this policy via our dedicated reporting flows.

How can I report violations of this policy?

In-app

You can report this content for review in-app as follows:

Select Report Tweet from the icon.

Select It displays a sensitive photo or video.

Select the relevant option depending on what you are reporting.

Desktop

You can report this content for review via desktop as follows:

Select Report Tweet from the icon.

Select It displays a sensitive photo or video.

Select the relevant option depending on what you are reporting.

To report Lists:

Navigate to the List you’d like to report.

Click or tap the More icon.

Select Report List.

What happens if you violate this policy?

The enforcement action we take depends on the type of media you have shared, and where you have shared it.

Graphic content and adult nudity and sexual behavior

if shared in a live video and profile images - we will require you to remove this content;

Violent sexual conduct, bestiality, and necrophilia

sharing media anywhere on Twitter that depicts violent sexual conduct, bestiality, or necrophilia is strictly prohibited

for the first time you violate this policy, we will require you to remove this content. If you violate this policy again after your first warning, your account may be permanently suspended;

your account may be permanently suspended if the majority of your activity on Twitter is sharing this type of media.

Gratuitous gore

if shared in a tweet, we will require you to remove this content

if shared in live video and profile images – the first time you violate this policy, we will require you to remove this content. If you violate this policy again after your first warning, your account will be permanently suspended;

your account may be permanently suspended if the majority of your activity on Twitter is sharing this type of media.

If you believe that your account was suspended in error, you can submit an appeal.

Additional resources

Learn more about our range of enforcement options and our approach to policy development and enforcement.

Adult content that was created or shared without the consent of those depicted is reviewed under our non-consensual nudity policy.