Hi everyone. Today we’re announcing a change for Shop Owners that will help your customers better define what they’d like to see in search results. As you know, we have long had a
content policy that governed what types of things that can and cannot be sold in Shapeways shops. However, there is also a category of models that are allowed to be sold here on Shapeways, but aren’t necessarily for everyone.
We strive to be a home for a broad range of communities, which is why we’ve tried to structure our content policy to accommodate as much design and expression as possible. But, being a home to a broad range of communities also means respecting the fact that every community is not always looking for every type of content.
That is why today we are preparing to roll out a mature content policy. Unlike the content policy, which explains what is not allowed on Shapeways, the mature content policy creates a framework for types of works that are expressly allowed on Shapeways - as long as they are tagged appropriately.
We are asking all shop owners with mature content to properly tag that content as mature before the full launch on February 22nd. Failure to properly tag content may negatively affect search results for your products.
What qualifies as mature content?
What qualifies as mature content can be tricky, and no list can ever be exhaustive. However, mature content includes:
- Non-medical or scientific depictions of genitalia
- Sexual activity or content, including highly sexualized models and sexualized nudity
- Profane language
- Graphic violence
- Items associated with sexual wellness, such as dildos, plugs, chastity belts, etc.
- Sexualized or graphically violent product photos for otherwise non-mature models
Additionally, non-mature items that use mature images in product photos must be tagged as mature content.
What happens to content that is tagged mature?
First and foremost, it will be easier for customers looking for mature content to find it. Logged-in users who have opted into mature content will be able to explicitly limit searches to mature content.
For guests and users who have not opted into seeing mature content, mature models will not show up in searches or while browsing shopping categories. However, mature models will be visible if those users visit a shop with mature content or if they click on a direct link to a mature model.
What happens if I don’t properly tag my content?
We reserve the right to apply mature tags to content that we deem to be mature. If shops or designers repeatedly fail to properly tag their models or seek to avoid or remove mature content tags, those shops and models may be depreciated in search.
What if I’m not sure if a model is mature?
We encourage you to contact
content-precheck@shapeways.com if you would like to check and see how the mature content policy applies to a specific model.
How do I tag my content?
The mature content tag is in the discoverability section on a product edit page. Check the box labeled “This product is intended for mature audiences” to tag it as mature.
How do I opt into seeing mature content?
Check the “Show mature audience content” box in your
user profile.
What are the next steps?
We will announce this to the broader community on February 22. However, we are soft launching the feature today, which means that mature content is specifically searchable as of right now.
We are asking you to tag all existing mature models by February 22 so that everything is ready for the full public announcement. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here.