CYBERSPACE—Snapchat on Tuesday swiftly took down a batch of X-rated augumented reality "lenses" that production company Naughty America had just launched in promotion of its membership site. In addition to the lenses, Snapchat also deactivated NA's account on the social media platform.
According to a report by entertainment trade outlet Variety, the lenses allowed Snapchat users to superimpose porn stars in various states of undress over images of the users' actual surroundings, and share the results with their friends on the platform. A Snapchat representative told Variety that the lenses violated its terms of service and Lens Studio submission guidelines, the latter of which prohibit any content containing "obscene language or imagery, depictions of nudity, sex acts or profanity."
NA chief executive officer Andreas Hronopoulos, however, noted to Variety upon introducing the lenses Tuesday that he believed they were in compliance with Snapchat's policies because his company was advising users to only share them privately with friends on the platform, and not publish them in Snapchat's lens catalog. While Snapchat allows "nudity in non-sexual contexts"—in distinct contrast to Instagram's policies—it still prohibits accounts "that promote or distribute pornographic content," a stipulation that bodes decidely ill for the numerous adult entertainers offering X-rated content on their Premium Snapchat accounts.
Even still, Snapchat may face a steep battle eliminating these newfound lenses, due to the fact that Naughty America also created and is continuing to distribute source files that allow users to create their own, and a manual that instructs them how to do so. "Users are downloading and creating them," Hronopoulos told Variety today.
Adult industry members are reminded that AVN has created its own social media platform, AVN Stars, free of the restrictions like those Snapchat, Instagram and others impose. Industry professionals and fans alike are encouraged to explore AVN Stars here.
In addition, industry members wishing to learn the personal account handles of the internet "troll" who goes by the name "Omid" and has caused hundreds of industry-related Instagram accounts to be disabled may email [email protected] to be provided with such.
