Utah Sen. Mike Lee calls for porn ban on X
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has called for a ban on pornography on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. Lee posted his appeal on Feb. 10, urging the company to remove adult content entirely. However, it remains unclear whether Musk, a longtime ally of Lee, will support the proposal.
Lee and Musk have previously aligned on key political issues, including cutting government spending and reducing federal agency power. Lee has been a vocal supporter of Musk’s policies, frequently praising him on X via his personal account, @BasedMikeLee. Musk, in turn, has amplified Lee’s messages, engaging with and reposting his content. Their collaboration has been notable enough that E&E News referred to their dynamic as a “bromance” in 2023.
Despite their shared views on free speech and deregulation, Musk’s stance on pornography on X may present a point of contention. In May 2024, Musk’s team introduced an updated Adult Content Policy that permits pornography on the platform under specific guidelines. The policy mandates that explicit content must be consensual, include warnings, and not be prominently displayed. Additionally, users under 18 are restricted from accessing such content.
Criticism of adult content on X has been growing. A Business Insider report found that in 2022, 13% of the platform’s content was classified as “not-safe-for-work,” with the presence of porn increasing as content moderation was scaled back. NPR has also reported a rise in “porn bots” and automated accounts distributing explicit material.
Lee is not alone in his push for a porn-free X. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., recently criticized the platform’s adult content policies. In January, she posted a lengthy critique of X, arguing that sites like OnlyFans were “destroying the value of women” and encouraging harmful behaviors. She called on Musk to eliminate pornographic content from the platform entirely.
Musk’s commitment to making X a bastion of free speech may complicate any decision to remove adult content. Since purchasing Twitter and rebranding it to X in 2022, Musk has maintained that the platform would uphold maximum free expression. While Utah’s strict pornography laws regulate distribution and require age verification for adult sites, critics argue such laws infringe on digital privacy and free speech rights.
As Lee’s proposal gains attention, it remains to be seen whether Musk will address the call for a porn ban—or if X will continue to allow explicit content under its current policies.
