YOUR FAVORITE LOGO TV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

Do Twitter Alt-Accounts Have What It Takes to Replace Tumblr Porn?

“I'm experimenting with exhibitionism, and being able to talk about kink with a broader audience."

On December 17, Tumblr banned all adult content (with very few exceptions), effectively severing one of its most fruitful categories. The ban came shortly after Apple’s App Store removed the Tumblr app over a child pornography incident (though, according to The Verge, Apple’s issues with the site far exceeded that singular incident). The online reaction was reverberant.

Queer people, in particular, were pissed—and rightfully so. For many LGBTQ folks, Tumblr was a digital safe-haven, a place where we felt free to safely explore our sexuality without judgment and ridicule. The platform was massively influential for individuals both discovering and coming to terms with their sexuality. Almost immediately following Tumblr’s apocalyptic ban, there was a surge in Twitter alt-accounts. These offer users a private account separate from their main one, where the user will post X-rated pictures and footage. The user will often retweet content they find sexy, as well.

Now, is this sudden emergence a coincidence? Of course not. We’ve found a way to restore what Tumblr has destroyed.

Matt, 37, from Dallas, Texas, admits he was disappointed in the ban, but not surprised. “Tumblr had long been trying to redirect its porn status,” he says. “First, by removing adult search words, then by forcing ‘suggested content’ that veered from adult material. It seemed like the next natural step. I definitely saw it coming.”

During its heyday, Matt solely used Tumblr for porn, attributing its layout and curation abilities for his preference. “It was 100% visual and always offered new content,” he says. “I hand-selected who I followed, so the site was filled with my fetishes and people I found attractive.” When the Tumblr ban was announced, Matt switched to his existing Twitter account, deleting its content and using it for porn curation.

Getty

“I started my Twitter-alt as a response to what I could no longer do on Tumblr,” Richard, 40, from Cincinnati, Ohio, says. “I'm experimenting with exhibitionism, and being able to talk about kink with a broader audience ... is gratifying,” he shares. “Plus, it's more attention—and who doesn't like that?” In just over a month, Richard, a hulking redheaded man, has built a following with his BDSM-heavy content.

Like a Tumblr page, users can post and retweet content to create a Twitter catalog dedicated to their sexual interests, all while amplifying their online clout. However, finding an alt-Twitter account can be a precarious process. Personally, I’ve found it best to search for adult-related hashtags and go from there. Once you’ve followed a few alt-accounts, you’ll have easier access to others through retweets, interactions, and related content. To the individuals I spoke with, what’s most appealing about an alt-account is that they can choose who views their posts; most alt-accounts are locked, allowing the profile creator to moderate who can follow and access content. Furthermore, the sources I interviewed preferred I not hyperlink to their alt-accounts.

“I chose Twitter because its structure is conducive to interaction between users. It's less restricting than other social media platforms like Instagram,” Grant, 23, from New York City, shares. “I wanted to post my own more risqué pictures since I'm a bit of an exhibitionist, but didn't want them to be open to the public for anyone to find. So opening a private alt-account seemed like the best idea.”

I will admit I’ve started perusing Twitter alt-accounts in the wake of the Tumblr ban. I’ve done it so often, in fact, that I began to wonder if Twitter-alts were the new Tumblr. Unfortunately, any hope I had was quickly diminished. The men I spoke with were unanimous: Twitter will never replace Tumblr.

“I haven’t had much success,” Matt says. “Even following the same people/accounts I followed on Tumblr.” The reason, Matt postulates, is that Twitter hosts too many opinions and its format favors text over image/video. He argues that, due to its visual design, Tumblr made it easier to separate adult content from other, less sexually charged material. “I had no trouble finding hundreds of people to follow for content on Twitter—adult hashtags helped—but there is just way too much chatting and comments.”

Richard agrees, but notes that there is real potential for alt-Twitter to promulgate niche sexual interests like BDSM, furries, and so on in a similar way Tumblr had. Still not entirely convinced, I posted a poll to Twitter, asking my following for their opinion on the matter. The effort was futile: An overwhelming majority (71%) agreed that Twitter doesn’t have what it takes to fill the void Tumblr left.

“Twitter is too noisy to properly appreciate the imagery,” Valerie August, a follower on Twitter, shares. “Tumblr allowed for curation and a more mindful approach to looking at stuff.” Another asserts that all alt-Twitter does is advertise individual’s membership sites and apps. “It seems like most alt-Twitter accounts host 10-second clips or blocked-out photos directing you to their OnlyFans. It’s annoying.”

While Twitter alt-accounts may never fully replace Tumblr smut, it does seem like a suitable substitute until something better comes along. Admittedly, a good number of alt-accounts remain private, as Twitter hasn’t really established itself in the adult space. Alt-account users are still figuring things out in this new territory, so it may take time for things to catch the way Tumblr had.

I’ve followed some alt-users long before they started their adult accounts and to see them getting their jush without shame is wildly liberating. And to know that Twitter hosts a thriving adult scene for queer people is just as promising. So whether it’s here to stay or not, Twitter is hosting steamy content, and if you want to engage, you better strike while the iron’s hot—or at least before Twitter decides to pull adult content, as well.

Latest News