Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Sen. Mike Lee advocates for a porn ban on X, sparking mixed reactions.
- X's current policy permits adult content with guidelines; Musk's response is uncertain.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, took to social media Monday, calling for a porn ban on X from his personal account.
But it's unclear how the request will land with his friend Elon Musk.
Lee and Musk share interests in cutting spending and "de-fang"-ing the federal government. Lee has endorsed the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Lee also wants to curtail the power of federal agencies through his new REINS Act, which would make it harder for Congress to pass regulations.
Lee has in the past used his personal X account, @BasedMikeLee, to praise Musk's policies on the federal government. For his part, Musk has enthusiastically touted Lee's takes, including by commenting and reposting.
They've also bonded over free speech interests — in 2022, Lee posted his appreciation for Musk's "promise of increased fairness and ideological diversity across the Twitter platform."
Their social media friendship grew noticeable enough that E&E News termed it a "bromance" last year.
Lee's proposal would reshape X
In terms of who supports Lee's proposal, comments on his post show some support the idea and others are opposed.
"Even though I don't see it on X, I agree 100% it should be banned," wrote @jcibme.
"Got my vote. Porn is destructive," said @PaulAMarketos.
"How about we ban nothing, and each clean up our own little messes for a change," said @StillShakinIt.
X's existing Adult Content Policy, which Musk released in May 2024, allows users to post pornography that adheres to specific guidelines. Specifically, it requires that users obtain consent before producing or posting porn, include viewing warnings and ensure it is not "prominently displayed."
Users under age 18 may not access content marked as pornographic, according to the policy.
Prior to the policy, a significant amount of users already decried X for porn, per Business Insider. In 2022, 13% of the app was considered "not-safe-for-work;" since then, porn rates have continued to rise, with moderation cut and "porn bots," or porn distributor accounts, multiplying on the platform, according to NPR.
It's unclear if Musk will respond directly to Lee's proposal.
Elon Musk censors Kanye for porn posts
It bodes well that Musk marked Kanye West's X account NSFW after a barrage of pornographic posts, according to TMZ.
Kanye was also under fire for creating antisemitic, misogynistic and racist content. On Feb. 10, Kanye seemed to deactivate his account himself.
