Mature Content / NSFW Policy v1

As a marketplace dedicated to creative and handmade goods made by authentic artisans, Artisans Cooperative aims to provide for freedom of expression and choice amongst artisans and shoppers, while also making the marketplace shopping experience safe and comfortable for everyone.

This policy defines what Mature Content / NSFW is, outlines what is allowed and what is not allowed, and provides specific and mandatory requirements for artisans listing Mature Content / NSFW items. Visibility of Mature Content / NSFW items may be necessarily restricted or gated due to legal and policy compliance requirements. Compliance, cooperation, and honesty with regards to this policy is paramount to the safety and longevity of this community.

Questions about an artisan’s particular items and whether they qualify may be directed to us in advance: Contact.

Concerns that an item may be in violation of this policy should be reported immediately using our Compliance Reporting Form.

What Is Not Allowed

We do not allow the sale of pornography, exploitative, illegal, or hateful content, anything that promotes self-harm, or anything else that violates our Handmade Policy, Terms of Service, or Acceptable Use agreement with our hosting platform Shopify, in our sole discretion.

We explicitly prohibit the following from our marketplace:

• Depictions of the sexualization of minors
• Depictions of bestiality, incest, assault, and rape.
• Pornography: although famously difficult to define, an item generally qualifies as pornography when it contains printed or visual material that explicitly describes or displays sex acts, sex organs, or other erotic behavior for the purpose of sexual arousal or stimulation. When deciding whether mature content crosses over the threshold into pornography, the explicitness of depictions of sexual activity or content will be a factor.
• Items that promote, support or glorify acts of violence or harm towards self or others, including credible threats of harm, including but not limited to:

• Glorifying human suffering or tragedies
• Exploiting natural disasters or human tragedies
• Encouraging, glorifying, or celebrating acts of violence against individuals or groups
• Encouraging self-mutilation, starvation, suicide, or other self-harm

• Items that promote, perpetuate, or endorse hate speech, harmful misinformation, or harmful disinformation, including but not limited to:

• Impeding a person’s civic engagement
• Risking the health or safety of the public or individuals
• Encouraging harassment or violence towards people or groups, particularly those identified as hate speech targets by the United Nations Hate Speech Strategy and Plan.

What Is Allowed

We allow the sale and purchase of handmade goods with mature content or that may be considered “NSFW” (Not Safe for Work) that comply with this policy.

Artisans selling items with mature content have the responsibility to check if their product listings qualify as mature content and to make sure their mature content product listings meet our product listing requirements.

Our community will be enforcing this policy through our crowdsourced Compliance Reporting Form. If product listings do not meet these requirements, Artisans Cooperative reserves the right to suspend or remove them immediately.

What Is Considered Mature Content / NSFW

We are using the terms Mature Content and NSFW interchangeably. Mature Content has traditionally been understood to mean sexual content, but NSFW is a modern term that is generally more broad, including sexually suggestive or explicit content, vulgar, graphic, disturbing, or even violent content. In other words, images or words that might make you uncomfortable to be seen with on your workplace monitor if your boss was walking by.

Exceptions

Not all nudity is considered Mature Content / NSFW, including non-pornographic nude photography and depictions of breasts and buttocks, and non-pornographic abstractions, drawings, and cartoons, within reason, as determined by a review committee delegated by the Board.

Mature Content / NSFW Includes

• Sexually explicit or sexually suggestive items intended for use during sexual activity, or items depicting or describing sex organs:

• Printed or visual depictions of human genitalia, sexual activity or content that do not cross the line into pornography, as discussed above.
• Sexual wellness items

• Profane language
• Graphic, gory, disturbing and even violent content within reason as a legitimate part of historical, educational, or artistic expression, but never used to promote or glorify violent acts against others:

• Explicit types or representations of taxidermy
• Fictional or literary work that contain violence
• Items that may depict violent or graphic situations intended to have educational, historical, or artistic value
• Items that show support or bring awareness to those at risk of self-harm, including those with eating disorders
• BDSM items

How Mature Content / NSFW Products Must Be Listed to Comply

When listing a Mature Content / NSFW product, artisans must comply with the following:

• The item must be tagged “NSFW” by selecting “YES” in the dropdown of the Mature Content (NSFW) Custom Field question in each product listing. Blanks or lack of a response do not qualify as a YES.
• The first or cover image must be appropriate for general audiences, or Safe for Work (SFW). We highly recommend that these listings use a simple graphic as a cover image, such as a plain color background with the words “Mature Content.” The co-op has designed one for you that you’re welcome to use for your marketplace listings:
  Template Cover Image: edit in Canva or download PNG
• The title of the product must be appropriate for general audiences (SFW) and must not contain profane language.
• The title of the product must begin with “NSFW” to provide visible warning to all shoppers.

Non-compliance with these listing requirements may result in the product’s immediate suspension or removal. Repeat violations may trigger more severe outcomes, including the artisan’s suspension or removal, in Artisans Cooperative’s sole discretion.