Synod has decommissioned X due to its policy to allow adult content

In May, X (formerly Twitter) updated it’s content policy to allow users to “share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior (sic), provided it’s properly labeled and not prominently displayed.”

There is already a proliferation of adult content across the internet and now X officially wants to be a major player in this unhelpful, often exploitative and harmful space.

There are many mental health concerns around the proliferation of adult content freely available to all age groups on the internet.

Many social media platforms often skate the margins of exploitative and questionable content, but users have been able to flag this content as inappropriate and have it removed, X now seems to want to open the adult content floodgates.

Given this new development, Adrian Drayton, the Synod Head of Communication and Marketing has made the decision to move away from X as a social media platform and Synod Communications will be decommissioning its X account from this week. 

In March this year the eSafety Commissioner released an update to the Online Safety Act 2021, which requires “ industry to develop new codes to regulate illegal and restricted content. This refers to the most seriously harmful material, such as videos showing sexual abuse of children or acts of terrorism, through to content that is inappropriate for children, such as high impact violence and nudity”.

In making this decision to no longer use X as a social media platform, the Synod of NSW and ACT Communications team hopes that other religious organisations might follow. The Uniting Church is committed to being a Safe Church for all people especially children and vulnerable people.

Learn more about the Online Safety Act

Our laws need to keep pace with advances in technology and the threats we face online from harmful behaviour and toxic content. These modern times of rapid change and social upheaval call for robust new laws.

The new powers in the Online Safety Act cement eSafety’s role as a world leader in online safety. They place Australia at the international forefront in the fight against online harm.

Find out more about the Online Safety Act here .