Gumroad, an e-commerce platform for creators, recently revised its guidelines to impose stricter limitations on NSFW (Not Safe For Work) material. This change was likely attributed to restrictions imposed by payment processors such as Stripe and PayPal.
The sudden policy changes have come as a shock to creators who sell adult art, such as explicit comic books or lewd cosplay photos, resulting in an unexpected loss of income.
Gumroad’s updated guidelines now strictly prohibit sexually explicit content on its platform, in line with standards set by payment processing partners such as Stripe and PayPal.
The guidelines define sexually explicit content as media primarily crafted for sexual gratification, including fetish content, depictions of characters in sexual scenarios, or content intended to titillate.
Prohibited content spans various formats, including photography, videos, animations, 3D models, illustrations, written works, and audiobooks, with audio products also being prohibited.
Thousands of creators on Gumroad have suddenly found themselves without a significant source of income. These creators received no prior warning or notification before Gumroad abruptly announced significant changes, prompting users to seek alternative platforms to connect with their audience.
One such platform that many Gumroad users are unable to consider is Patreon. The well-known creator pledge service once again updated its policies regarding pornographic material.
Revealed by Yeougui on Twitter, their conversations with Patreon essentially reveals that the updated policies essentially treats fictional characters as real-life individuals, where the disclaimer of consent no longer applies to digital artwork.
Additionally, Patreon will proactively monitor a user’s social media presence to ensure compliance with these regulations.
Following the revelation that a major source of income for numerous creators was about to end, creators swiftly took action to maximize their revenue within a 24-hour timeframe before they must exit the platform.
Some users expressed their “gratitude” towards Gumroad by offering their products for free using specific promo codes at checkout.
However majority of NSFW creators opted to offer significant discounts on their services, consider it a last minute going out of business sale, needless to say this has sparked substantial revenue of which Gumroad were more than happy to boast about.
After abruptly changing policies, which left creators scrambling to maximize their earnings before the new rules took effect, Gumroad had the audacity to boast about the record-breaking earnings on the platform.
During the one-day bonfire sale, users spent over $900,000 on the platform, marking a significant 63% increase from their previous record set on March 2nd, which was $550,000.
However, Gumroad are acting oblivious to the fact that their success is largely thanks to NSFW content creators. Countless users were quick to point out that following the ban on adult-oriented material, Gumroad may never see such astronomical figures again.
Instead, they risk facing a fate similar to Tumblr, which banned adult content in 2018 and quickly plummeted off the face of the earth.
The drastic shifts seen in adult-oriented services like Patreon and Gumroad likely stem from the pressure exerted by monopolistic payment processors such as PayPal, Mastercard, and VISA.
These Western payment giants continue to wield significant influence over businesses, effectively dictating what content users can access and spend money on.
For instance, Mastercard recently threatened the Japanese video-sharing platform Niconico to remove certain videos with problematic headlines, including a clickbait video titled “Decided to abuse a dirty kitten,” which gained viral attention in Japan. Despite the video being innocuous, a man giving a baby kitten a bath, Niconico chose to terminate their contract with Mastercard rather than allow them to dictate content policies on the platform.
Similarly, DMM terminated their contract with Mastercard when the payment processor attempted to intervene regarding content on their FANZA service.
Patreon has long since intensified its crackdown on prominent NSFW fetishes, starting with hypnosis and eventually broadening its scope to include themes like bestiality, mutilation, and, notably, lolicon.
Similarly, Pixiv, which relies on western payment processors for services like Fanbox, has banned a significant portion of content deemed to “insult public order and morality.”
In 2021, OnlyFans, a platform closely associated with adult content, sparked widespread backlash after announcing it would no longer host such material. While the decision was eventually reversed, OnlyFans had to adhere to stricter policies imposed by payment processors. These policies included requirements for performer identity verification and the submission of consent forms by all models.
While some individuals may not personally appreciate such content, it highlights a troubling trend. These actions indicate a slippery slope that could force adult-oriented websites to sanitize their content to comply with stricter regulations imposed by overbearing payment processors.
This is despite the fact that such platforms are scrutinizing fictional material alongside reality, essentially conflating the two which has been a longstanding issue.
These increasingly stringent restrictions on adult content have not only impacted performers but also critically affected artists who create sexual works not involving real individuals.
As creators explore alternative platforms, the landscape of adult content undergoes constant evolution, presenting both artists and platforms with uncertain challenges.
Although I lack artistic talent compared to those who rely on platforms like Gumroad for their livelihood, I recognize the potential for establishing my own small-scale website to offer such material to interested parties in exchange for cryptocurrency. However, the reality is that the number of digital artists willing to embrace and accept this alternative approach is insufficient to effectively challenge the dominance of convenient platforms who are solely reliant upon the influences of abusive payment processors.
