While I was working the floor at the San Diego Comic Con, I received word that Twitter — X, whatever — had started hiding the media and tweets for the J-List Twitter account for some European countries. Wait, Twitter blocks adult accounts in Europe, now? It was a big shock for us. Let’s look into this latest online drama and find some possible workarounds!
It’s a very special time for us at J-List, because 30 years ago this week, we started the first anime and hentai shop selling to fans around the world. And we’ve been able to make it this far thanks to our wonderful customers. We’re celebrating with a huge 20% sale on all in-stock Japan products, through October 7th. Start browsing now!
Why Did Twitter Start Blocking 18+ Accounts in Europe?
Over the weekend, I received word that J-List’s X users in some countries (the UK, Germany) could not see any of the media from our posts.
It’s not clear whether all EU countries will be hit with the ban. When I asked my followers for feedback, reasonable countries like Norway, Sweden, France, Spain, and Portugal were still allowing access, but that could have changed since then. If you’re in Europe, please let us know if you have access to the @jlist account in the comments below!
Why is this happening? It’s a mix of laws like the UK’s Online Safety Act and the EU’s Digital Services Act, which are taking effect. They generally require age verification in order to show 18+ content on platforms like Twitter. Despite, you know, the Internet being a place for the free sharing of knowledge and ideas, even if some anime pantyshots sneak in every once in a while.
The block could also be related to Verified accounts. At least at first, some followers reported they could see J-List’s content with a verified account. I wouldn’t put it past the company to eventually “strongly urge” anyone wanting to follow 18+ accounts to pay to get a blue checkmark, which would prove they were adults at the same time.
Why does J-List think Twitter is the “last, best hope for anime boobs”? Read this blog post next!
Are There Any Workarounds?
Of course, we live in a world where VPNs are a thing. These amazing private networks are one of the best things about the Internet, and I couldn’t work remotely in San Diego or go camping by the ocean near Malibu while accessing the servers back in Japan without one. If you need a VPN to access J-List’s Twitter feed (or any other blocked site), here’s a Reddit post I found that details the best free options to consider. And here’s a chart that ranks the features of all VPNs out there, which might be helpful.
Another workaround might be to change your computer or phone’s settings to report that you’re in a country where there is no block. Set your device’s local settings to the US, Canada, or Japan, and maybe it will work. Let us know in the comments if it does!
Another possibility is using Verified accounts, which might be considered age-verified since a credit card was provided. I wouldn’t be surprised if X tried to make viewing 18+ content in Europe a “paid” feature, since it would solve their issue with age verification and increase revenue at the same time. I personally do pay for Twitter, as I believe we need it if we want to avoid living a hellish Zuccoverse of Censorship that makes running an anime account impossible. This is why we had to stop posting to our official Facebook page with 1.5+ million followers — the company uses AI that flags normal, SFW anime images as CP, and thinks that this is somehow okay.
Twitter Blocks Adult Accounts — What Are J-List Customers Saying About Twitter’s New Censorship?
UK got the Brexit but they SOMEHOW still make their shit a problem for everyone in the EU.
France here. We cannot see your content. It’s like, to prevent children from going into the forest, they have burnt the forest down.
I’m from Finland and yes this affects us, too. But to work around this, all you have to do is change where you are from in the settings. I assume anywhere but Europe and you can see everything again.
Switzerland here. Luckily we didn’t get affected by this. Weird that a lot of EU countries get blocked even tho this is a UK thing.
Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it. – Mark Twain. (Possibly apocryphal.)
Thanks for reading our blog post about the frustrating “Twitter blocks adult accounts” situation and the J-List censorship we’re currently facing. Share your thoughts on this censorship issue in the comments below!
Let’s Chat
You made it to the end of this post! Thank you! As a token of our appreciation, enjoy an extra 5% off your next order with code BLOG at checkout. Also, don’t forget to follow J-List on all our platforms!
- Twitter/X, where Peter posts anime booba for you.
- Megumi Channel is our new YouTube channel, where Megumi-chan discusses all things anime. Please give us a follow!
- Bluesky, where we post several times a day.
- Facebook, where you can find our blog posts… though the site has become hostile to anime memes and other fun content.
- Discord, if you want to chat with other J-List customers of culture.
It’s a very special time for us at J-List, because 30 years ago this week, we started the first anime and hentai shop selling to fans around the world. And we’ve been able to make it this far thanks to our wonderful customers. We’re celebrating with a huge 20% sale on all in-stock Japan products, through October 7th. Start browsing now!
