NSFW: LBRY Bares All (Then Quickly Covers Up)

The internet abhors a vacuum, and by that we mean any open forum without boobs. LBRY is apparently no different.

It's well known that the internet and VHS tapes quickly became popular sources for adult content as the public began to explore these new forms of media technology. The same thing happened in LBRY as soon as we created some Featured Content spots on the app for users to control.

Any LBRY beta user can upload original content and bid for the names "one", "two", "three", "four". The content at those names appears on LBRY's home screen to the right of our featured publishing partners:

As you can see, when the above screenshot was snapped, an explicit piece of content was on display. In fact, when these slots became available to the public, we got lots of featured content that everyday users might not want to have pop up on their screen during, say, a break at work or a first date. (You do show off LBRY on the first date, right? ... No? Just us? Hmm.)

The LBRY protocol will remain free of censorship by design – and in keeping with our principles of free speech, no gatekeepers, and creator control. But the LBRY app we're creating is for "all audiences" as Hollywood would say. We want everyone to be able to use the app in keeping with their own comfort and any legal considerations in their country.

So what's the answer? A setting, of course!

Creators can mark their works "NSFW," which will blur the title and preview image and offer a warning if users click on it, as you can see here:

If you are of legal age and don't mind seeing NSFW content, you can disable this setting globally by navigating to your personal LBRY settings:

Still don't like the idea of NSFW content showing up on LBRY's home screen even in a moderated way? Then go bid on those names! LBRY is a neutral platform: it responds to the market. You can steer LBRY your way by getting involved. If you'd rather not bid, you can still get your original content featured on the homepage by applying to be a publishing partner (and earn $1,000 in LBC at the same time!). Or join our Discord chat to talk with content publishers, ask questions of our developers, or just hang out in a friendly online community.