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If you were a teenager in the 2010s, then you'll have heard of Wattpad.
A corner of the internet where young people could use their imagination to write fan fiction about their favourite celebrities or characters, from One Direction, and K-pop idols, to their top TV character ships.
You name it, there's probably a fan fiction about it.
This had a notable cultural impact as some of the popular Wattpad stories were turned into book series that later were adapted for film and TV, such as The Kissing Booth, After, My Life with The Walter Boys, and Through My Window.
Wattpad users panic over new guidelines
But Wattpad users recently expressed their concerns on social media that sexually explicit stories aka "smut" were about to be removed from the platform due to an update with its Content Guidelines on August 10.
"Wattpad banning smut is equivalent to banning water from Earth," TikToker @basicallyme08 posted which received over 3.5 million views.
TikToker @cassiesbooktok wrote, "Wasn't going to drink tonight but then found out Wattpad banned smut," in a video that now has 947,000 views.
"The concept of the backbone of Wattpad being banned is CRAZY," noted creator @elyse9438.
The concerns weren't just on TikTok as other also took to X to share their reactions:
One person said, "BEING SOLD TO ONE DIRECTION IS NOW AGAINST THE TERMS OF SERVICE ON WATTPAD??? this is the start of the end."
(And before you ask, yes this was a real fan fiction trope.)
"Wattpad needs to get a grip on who they are and the audience they serve you would be NOTHING without One Direction smut on your godforsaken app," a second person wrote.
A third person asked, "Did Wattpad really ban smut?"
"Wattpad is banning smut??" a fourth person similarly questioned.
Wattpad users are moving over to AO3 - much to the annoyance of AO3 users...
As a result of this panic, Wattpad users appears to be moving over to The Archive of Our Own (AO3), a nonprofit, open-source archive for fan fiction.
The difference between the two being that there are no adverts, or paid tiers on AO3 and there isn't an algorithm that recommends you stories to read, instead reader have to look at tags, characters, and fandoms to find the story they are looking for.
Since what is being called as the "Wattpad migration," AO3 users have been complaining, particularly as some fan fictions are being reported.
One person said, "I wear this badge with great honor," with the badge reading, "I was on AO3 being the great Wattpad migration."
"So hilarious (frustrating) that Wattpad banned smut and now its users are crowding AO3 and reporting fics with tags they don’t like. a group of kids unable to see the consequences of their own actions," a second person wrote.
A third person added, "AO3 is an archive, wattpad users. It's not a social media site and it doesn't have an ingrained algorithm. You will not get famous. Your fics will not be recommended automatically by the system. You post your fics for the love of the game, that's it."
"Wattpad users crying about censorship then going to ao3 and reporting tags they don’t like," a fourth person commented.
Others are schooling new users on how AO3 works, for example the "Dead Dove: Do Not Eat" which is a warning tag meaning "what you see is what you get," as the story may contain dark, taboo topics.
What does Wattpad's policy actually say?
On its newly updated Content Guidelines, Wattpad listed all the things that are "banned/not allowed," and these include:
- Pornographic content (created primarily for sexual arousal)
- Any sexual content involving minors. Wattpad maintains zero tolerance for Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM). We may report suspected CSEM directly to relevant law enforcement authorities worldwide.
- Sexual exploitation, coercion, or non-consensual acts that are glorified
- Sexual roleplay, solicitation, or messaging
- Illegal sex acts in violation of applicable local and international laws, including but not limited to, bestiality, necrophilia, incest, or child sexual exploitation and abuse material.
A spokesperson told Metro, "‘The updated language gives more specifics around our story ratings (Everyone or Mature) and what is banned on the platform, but our policies, content categories, and how we moderate have not changed."
"We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful environment for our users, and providing clearer guidelines helps creators and readers better understand our rules."
So, no, Wattpad isn't banning "smut" like the internet is saying.
Indy100 has reached out to Wattpad for comment.
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