Ecommerce giant eBay has updated their ‘adult items policy’, which now says that starting June 15, no new listings can be posted in the ‘adult only’ category, barring a few items including sex toys and non-sexually explicit nude art.
eBay is banning the sale of a majority of sexually explicit material listed on the site, including anime, adult movies, video games, magazines and any other adult item that doesn’t comply with their illegal, explicit content policy. However, eBay has made an exception for popular magazines such as Playboy, Penthouse, Mayfair and Playgirl, which can be listed as long as the listing doesn’t contain any nude images or explicit content.
Nude art listings that don’t contain sexually suggestive content can be listed in the Art Collectibles category. Sex toys and accessories from pre-approved vendors will also be available under the Health and Beauty section.
The eCommerce site has been a popular avenue for anyone looking to buy or sell explicit material. This ban looks like eBay is trying to distance itself from further controversy and trying to re-establish its credibility as a more serious marketplace. Several companies in Silicon Valley, including Instagram and Twitter, have clamped down on sexually suggestive media in the past few years.
According to their adult policy page, eBay wants to ” make adult items available to those who wish to purchase them and can do so legally, while preventing those who do not wish to view or purchase these items from easily accessing them”. It also mentions that violating the policy could end up in a range of actions, including account suspension, demoting listings from search results, lowered seller ratings, buying or selling restrictions or cancelling listings.
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