Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Content

Word is flying around from some creators about a new and entirely subjective policy being enforced, primarily targeting Anime style artists for giving their characters neotanous features, like big eyes and big heads. Some artists have already had their accounts forced to remove any depiction of a character that could be interpreted as possibly under 18, based on looks alone. Any character with a thin build, or large eyes could conceivably be targeted by this subjective policy, regardless of how many stories you've written about them being adults.

I've not seen the specific art that Patreon came down on when this was brought up. Was it exceptionally chibi? I don't know. But it does mean they could interpret a style as against their ever morphing policies.

In the past several years I've been pulling my style toward more ordinary proportions. I used to draw heads much larger than they would normally be on people, as a way of style, in my older work. I try not to anymore. But it does mean some characters who are specifically short and thin, like Beth or Penelope, could be subject to scrutiny, despite being written as adults who lead adult lives in stories. The subjective nature of this is what is the most aggravating. Sissy's in her forties and has a curvy body, but if I draw her eyes too big, according to the Orwellian-esque named Trust & Safety Committee... the pic has to go?

Things like this make Patreon an unstable place to do any kind of creative adult work. When wondering why this would now be a thing when it was fine for all the years Patreon has been around, it makes me wonder if they're not cleaning the site of anything subjectively "iffy" as a prelude to selling the company. This possibility instills further instability, which can't be mollified by any of the CEO's tear-filled assurances about supporting creators.

Here is the article I was linked to that outlined what happened with the anime style creators whose work was brought up: 

https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2020/03/patreon-banning-content-creators-for-japanese-style-art/105048/

So, what to do? I'm not leaving my adult-only Patreon account unless I have no choice, so don't worry, for now. But be aware this is happening. I will be posting another announcement after this with links to my Subscribestar page and my SFW Patreon account, and basically going over any contingency plans if this becomes an issue here.

Thank you all!

Files

Comments

Micah Nightwolf

Yeah, Patreon has gone the way of YouTube. They're all about as dependable as an ex spouse.

Dezrath

Like Micah Nightwolf said Patreon had gone the way of YouTube ala subjective censorship. If you go somewhere else let us know, I'll sub up there instead. You've been my favorite yiff artist for going on 8 years now.

Kalava

Well then.

Like a Ghost

This is also a preventative measure to avoid damage if the similarly orwellian "EARN IT" act that is trying to pass through congress is put into action, whereby a company can be shut down by the government for hosting any communication deemed "inappropriate" under the guise of protecting minors from being exploited. Telling tech companies like Patreon that 1st amendment rights have to be "earned" by their platform is going to lead to every hosting site dialing back everything out of fear of scrutiny. A million problems in the world and a little drawn nudity is *not* one of them, but it will be hurt the hardest by companies stupid overreaching response to a stupidly overreaching bill put forth by asshats stupidly overreaching for control over online narratives that serve their political interests. None of this is going to prevent, reduce, or even inconvenience any child exploitation, just put creatives into tougher financial positions to make a living.

leave2gether

this is insane. What's next? Furries, because "we can't identify their age"?

pokediginut

Patreon has been doing some weird shit lately, I hope it don’t go down sinking like Tumblr

SC Dunning

This is insane. So, if someone were to want to draw me-I, who am twenty-eight, far over the age of legal adulthood, but has big "moo cow" eyes, is short and has a very slim build, and just happens to LOOK younger than my age because of it-they couldn't? What kind of crap is that? If it comes to it, I'll absolutely follow you on another platform.

minoan

It's 100% Patreon trying to check boxes for their eventual sale to one of the big tech firms; if that's not in the works that is what they're trying. It's exactly what happened to Tumblr. I think eventually a lot of folks will migrate to SubscribeStar or another similar service.

Sun

Damn, you have only 9 subscribers on Subscribestar? You will lose money if you move there, although I think it is necessary. Patreon could shut down your page any day now.

Pohaigoose

IDK, I think you do a really good job at drawing petite characters that are still very obviously adults. A lot of people fail in that regard so keep up the good work!

Ascender

Reading up on the EARN IT Act, that is some pretty draconian Soviet-type shit. Of course it comes from Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, so what should we expect.

James

Getting pretty sick of Patreon cracking down on completely legal content. I remember a few months ago when Meesh had to remove some silly "mind-control" drawings because of something arbitrary that Patreon decided all on their own. It's not like adult furry artists are being featured on Patreon's front page anyway. Rest assured Jay I will follow where you go if you have no choice but to leave.

Joshua Chometa

A little bit of bullshit to round out my otherwise pleasant day.

Christhian Mora

Looks like is time to migrate to another platforms.