Kickstarter Reverts to Prior Adult Content Policy After Backlash
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This morning Kickstarter COO Sean Leow posted an apology and announced that the crowdfunding platform has reversed its week-old policy for projects with mature content. The controversial policy was more specific and detailed in what was no longer acceptable and caused outrage with creators who use the platform to fund their NSFW comics. Additionally, Kickstarter posted an article to help creators avoid getting flagged by their payment processor Stripe.
In the apology Leow agreed that the roll-out of the new policy caused “confusion, more uncertainty, and real fear that a platform that you have counted on to provide space for your creative expression was turning its back on you.” Because the policy didn’t address what they intended, they are reverting back to their older policy that simply read they don’t allow pornographic or illegal content.
The new policy now reads:
Kickstarter is committed to providing a space for creative expression. We do not allow pornographic or illegal content.
Projects are also subject to our partner’s Rules and Restrictions, including Stripe’s Prohibited and Restricted Business List. Our partners reserve the right to restrict projects that violate their Rules even if it is allowable under Kickstarter’s policies.
The announcement and guideline also confirm what many believed was the real reason for the change last week: pressure for payment processor giant Stripe. From the announcement:
The updates to the rules were primarily driven by requirements from our payments processor, Stripe. Stripe operates under its own legal and compliance requirements separate from Kickstarter’s own rules. And even Stripe’s rules are dictated by a larger system shaped by financial institutions that govern how money moves globally. Under this system, many platforms – including other crowdfunding and creator monetization platforms – struggle with how to create space for mature content while getting the creators of that work paid without friction.
Leow admits that rolling back to Kickstarter’s simpler policy it doesn’t fully address the larger issue—that Stripe operates under its own legal and compliance requirements and can flag a project as violating its mature content guidelines at any time during the fundraising campaign. To help address this risk, Kickstarter has published a how-to article to help creators present their project to the public to avoid getting flagged by Stripe in the first place.
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