Patreon Now Monitoring Users' Off-Site NSFW Activity to Decide Bans

Patreon Now Monitoring Users' Off-Site NSFW Activity to Decide Bans

LOS ANGELES — A recent controversy involving popular crowdfunding platform Patreon exposed a previously unnoticed, year-old change to the site's terms of service that acknowledges Patreon may “also look at what you do with your membership off our platform” when deciding whether to ban users and campaigns.

The controversial policy was reported yesterday by tech news site Daily Dot, in a piece by Ana Valens entitled, “Why is Patreon policing off-site NSFW content?”

Patreon’s own support blog contains a Q&A by its policy team delineating the company's ban on “pornographic content.”

“Nudity and the human body has been part of art since the very beginning of our history,” the platform’s policy team states. “It is so intertwined that we would never even think to ask whether or not the ‘David’ would be allowed on Patreon.”

Nudity, they add, “is allowed on Patreon as long as it is flagged accordingly.”

“You should make sure that both nudity and implied nudity such as the gimmicky censorship of breasts and genitals, sheer/see-through clothing, and overly sexual poses are always marked as adult,” the statement continues.

However, the company has a zero-tolerance policy for what it considers “pornography.”

“While we allow nudity and for creators to push the boundaries of art,” the policy team explains, “we also have guidelines against funding pornography on Patreon. In our community guidelines, we define pornographic material as real people engaging in sexual acts such as masturbation or sexual intercourse on camera.”

“If you ever have doubts about whether one of your posts is starting to cross the line towards content we would consider pornographic, please contact us,” the post adds.

Yesterday’s Daily Dot article revealed another layer of intrusive surveillance in Patreon’s decision-making process.

“According to Patreon’s terms of service, the site now monitors creators’ work off-site for ‘abusive content,’” wrote Valens.  “Patreon quietly implemented the rule around April 2019, according to one artist’s tweet, although enforcement has increased over the past year, particularly against anime artists.”

In March, Valens reported, “Patreon’s Trust & Safety team forced one adult anime artist to provide a Google Drive copy of their portfolio to inspect their work.”

“If you are a creator raising funds on Patreon, we may be held accountable for what you do with those funds,” the site’s terms of service page states. “As a result, we also look at what you do with your membership off our platform.”

To read “Why is Patreon policing off-site NSFW content?” visit the Daily Dot.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Show More