Popular Manga Site Issues "Unethical" Content Restrictions

By Megan Peters

It seems another popular manga site is coming under fire. Earlier today, the team at Pixiv piqued curiosity when it announced an update to its Terms of Service. According to the statement, the website has warned a number of users they're in violation of its Brand Protection for Card Networks policy, and it is implementing restrictions on purchasing "unethical" content.

Pixiv specifically noted its BOOTH, pixivFANBOX, and pixiv Request services were in violation of its terms. It alleges prohibited content was sold through the site, so restrictions against such transactions will begin on December 15th. Today, users were asked to delete any such content on their pages or set it to private. And as for what Pixiv considers prohibited, it includes but is not limited to the following: Sexual exploitation of a minor, incest, bestiality, rape (or any other non-consensual sexual behavior)," and "non-consensual mutilation of a person or body part."

What Is Pixiv?

If you are not familiar with Pixiv, the platform is a major one with anime and manga artists. The website began in 2007 in Tokyo and has gathered 50 million users as of April 2020. With 3.7 billion page views monthly, Pixiv is a go-to place for starting artists to get their work noticed. From original pieces to fan-art tributes, Pixiv has it all, and a number of mangakas have contributed to its catalog.

This new announcement is dominating the conversation on Pixiv, and it is far from the only controversy the site has handled. In fact, the site faced a lawsuit back in May as a transgender woman brought a case against Pixiv and her boss for sexual harassment. The case caused a slew of female and transgender employees to come out with their own experiences of being harassed. The website went on to release a statement acknowledging the situation and confirmed the lawsuit's accused was demoted in 2019. Other controversies at Pixiv include a 2018 lawsuit by idol group Niji no Conquistador and an alleged collaboration with the modern art group Chaos Lounge.

What do you make about this platform change? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

HT – ANN

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