We’ve Been Kicked Off Etsy!
In a move reminiscent of Tumblr and OnlyFans’ attempted pornography bans, Etsy has decided to remove adult products from their platform, except for certain specific depictions of artistic nudity.
Previously, Etsy was a lively hub for creative adult products. Using Etsy's built-in marketplace, as well as user-friendly interface with the ability to follow and favorite stores and listings, customers could easily find and follow new shops. Instead of implementing a more rigorous age restriction system—such as limiting NSFW product visibility to those with registered, age-verified Etsy accounts—Etsy chose the nuclear option, completely gutting their adult toy community.
Etsy's New Policy:
Etsy has officially banned ALL sex toys, effective July 29, 2024.
Of course, as a fantasy adult silicone sex toy store, we are affected by Etsy's new content ban. On the dot, on July 29, we received this email notice from Etsy:
Hello,
This is Etsy’s Trust & Safety team.
We’re always working hard to keep Etsy a safe destination for buyers to connect with special items made, designed, handpicked, or sourced by creative sellers around the world. One of the many ways we do this is by helping sellers understand and follow our policies for selling on Etsy.
Why we’re reaching out
It looks like some of your listings were flagged and removed by Etsy’s automated systems for violating our Prohibited Items Policy. This means they’re not active anymore and won’t be seen by buyers—and you can’t edit to relist them on Etsy. To see which listings we removed, check your inactive items.
Our listings had been deactivated:
What Does This Mean?
Many shops are rushing to move to their own websites—a process that can take months of planning and development. The adult fantasy toy community is frantically creating extensive lists of shops with their own storefronts. Makers are researching Etsy alternatives like Spicerack Market. However, can any alternative offer the reach that Etsy has?
Adult product creators have given Etsy a large portion of their income for many years and are now forced to start over elsewhere.
Official Etsy Statement:
“Today, we are building on this foundation, updating our standards, and introducing more rigorous guidelines. These updates can be found in our Adult Nudity and Sexual Content policy, and will take effect on July 29, 2024. We carefully crafted this policy with the goal of continuing to enable creative expression and the spirit of our marketplace, while taking into account evolving industry standards and best practices so that we can continue to keep our users safe.”
This wording strikes us as extremely vague and unsatisfying. How exactly does blanket banning all adult toys “keep Etsy and our community safe”? Why can’t an age restriction system be put in place? Why can’t an opt-in system be implemented so users won’t come across NSFW listings unless they choose to? What other safety concerns can there possibly be?
How Have the Guidelines Changed?
The new guidelines can be found here: Etsy's New Guidelines.
Here’s the biggest notable change in these guidelines: “Etsy prohibits the sale of adult toys that are:
- Inserted into the body
- Applied to the genitalia
- Designed for genitals to be inserted into them
This includes adult toys such as dildos, vibrators, anal plugs, sex dolls, and fleshlights.”
Previously, Etsy allowed adult products as long as they complied with Etsy’s prohibited content policy—essentially, no depictions of illegal content or illegal acts. (We previously had several issues with them wrongfully flagging and removing our content as "Bestiality," despite the fact that our products are modelled off of sentient fantastical and anthropomorphic creatures, not any real-life animals... so the track record isn't exactly great to begin with.) Now, all adult toys fall under a blanket ban policy.
To us, this feels like nothing short of puritanical censorship, an attempt to force a “wholesome” marketplace image.
We do not believe that sex toys are inherently unsafe or obscene. Only non-body-safe sex toys are harmful (note that Etsy did not ban UNSAFE sex toys, as they could have done -- they banned ALL sex toys). Sex toys are a means of expression, self-exploration, creativity, and can even be a bond between people. Sex is not derogatory, negative, immoral, or obscene... and sex toys are just implements used for sexual expression.
What Does This Mean for Us at Vulpini Design?
We are a very small business, comprised of just 2 individuals. We create and manage absolutely everything in-house -- from modelling, printing, and preparing all our own designs, to pouring each and every toy that goes out to our customers. Not to mention putting together all of our own visual assets, managing our own website, navigating and managing all of our own social media, advertising, and promotion... and much, much more. This Etsy ban hits us very hard. But we will work harder than ever to make up for it, because we believe wholeheartedly in the artistry and products that we create.
Etsy’s marketplace made up a large portion of our sales and outreach. Fortunately, we’ve had our website up and running for over a year. We are proudly hosted by Shopify, and we use Shopify POS to run our vending booths at conventions around the country. Our priority is now promoting this website alone; you will see many changes and improvements in the coming months. Now is a great time to check out our newsletter and social media – check these out at Vulpini Design Newsletter.
New to our shop? Support us by checking out our collection here!
We appreciate your support during this transition. Stay tuned for updates and new products on our Shopify website.
