About intimate media on Twitter

Twitter Rules: You may not post or share intimate photos or videos of someone that were produced or distributed without their consent. Media depicting sexual violence and/or assault is also not permitted. Note: limited exceptions may apply if there is clear context that the interaction is consensual. 

Rationale

Sharing explicit sexual images or videos of someone online without their consent is a violation of their privacy and one of the most serious violations of the Twitter Rules. In addition to posing serious safety and security risks, it may also result in physical, emotional, and financial hardship for the person whose media is shared.

When this applies

We prohibit the posting or sharing of intimate photos or videos that were or appear to have been taken or distributed without the subject's consent. Examples of intimate media that violate this policy include, but may not be limited to:

• hidden camera content involving nudity, partial nudity, and/or sexual acts
• images or videos that appear to have been taken secretly and in a way that allows the user to see the other person’s genitals, buttocks, or breasts (content sometimes referred to “creepshots” or “upskirts”)
• images or videos that superimpose an individual’s face onto another person’s nude body; 
  
• images or videos captured in a private setting and not intended for public distribution
• images or videos that are considered and treated as private under applicable laws

Finally, media depicting sexual violence and/or assault (real or simulated) is also not permitted. Note: limited exceptions may apply if there is clear context that the interaction is consensual (e.g., consensual sexual violence depicted between actors in television shows or movies). 

Do I need to be the target of this content for it to be a violation of the Twitter Rules?

Some forms of adult content and consensual nudity are permitted on Twitter. For this reason, we need to evaluate context to recognize if content has been created and/or shared without the consent of those involved. 

We recognize that it is often difficult for those impacted to identify themselves and report this issue. To reduce the burden on those affected, the following types of content do not require a first person report;

• creepshots or upskirts - photographs or video taken of people’s buttocks, up an individual’s skirt/dress or other clothing without consent;
• a bounty or financial reward in exchange for intimate media;
• depictions of sexual violence and/or assault;
• media that is accompanied by;
  • a personal association between the poster and those depicted e.g., “this is my ex”
  • wishing/hoping harm or revenge on those depicted e.g., “I hope that you get what you deserve when people see this”
  • information that could be used to contact those depicted e.g., “you can tell them what you think by calling them on 1234567”. 

Outside of the above scenarios, we need to hear directly from the individual(s) featured (or their authorized representative) to ensure that we have sufficient context before taking any enforcement action. 

Consequences

We will immediately and permanently suspend any account that we identify as the original poster of intimate media that was created or distributed without the subject’s consent, as well as any account that solely posts this type of content, e.g., accounts dedicated to sharing upskirt images.

In other cases, we may not suspend an account immediately. This is because some people who share this content may do so inadvertently, to express shock, disbelief or to denounce this practice. In these cases, we will require the user to remove the violating content and temporarily lock them out of their account before they can Tweet again. Further violations of this policy will result in permanent account suspension.

Learn more about our range of enforcement options. 

If someone believes their account was suspended in error, they can submit an appeal.