If you were hoping to sell something containing sexually explicit content on eBay, you're going to have to find a different online marketplace.
eBay Bans Sale of Adult Items, Effective June 15 Onward
According to AVN, eBay sent out a notice to sellers in its Adult Only section stating that the section will close on June 15. All items that meet the site's definition of sexually explicit materials will be removed, and the sale of these items will henceforth be prohibited.
The auction website's new policy places a ban on items that contain explicit sexual material or show "provocative sexual poses, genitalia, or sexual activity." This includes anime, comics, books, films, animation, manga, etc.
There are, however, some exceptions. For instance, nude art may be sold in the Art and Collectibles section as long as the work "does not contain sexually suggestive poses."
Similarly, magazines from certain publications (Playboy, Playgirl, Mayfair, and Penthouse) can be sold in the Magazines section, provided that the listing does not show anything sexual.
Why Does eBay Have This New Policy?
You can read eBay's updated guidelines regarding adult items in full on its eBay Customer Service page. There, eBay explains why its old policy had to change:
We want to make adult items available to those who wish to purchase them and can do so legally, while preventing those who do not wish to view or purchase these items from easily accessing them.
We gather that this is actually just eBay's way of making sure that children don't see any content inappropriate for their age.
But if that's the case, then the company isn't drawing a harsh enough line, as there are some guidelines that detail how an item that was removed from the Adult Only section could be "relisted" in other categories.
Image Credit: Coolcaesar/Wikimedia Commons
){kind=link}