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Adobe Transparency Center

Harmful Content: Violence and Gore

Overarching Principles
Policies: Harmful Content
Policies: Content Rights
Policies: Authenticity

Policy goal

The goal of this policy is to limit the potential for offline harm that may result from the promotion of violence and gore. It is not intended to limit or restrict content creation but to ensure the quality of the content, and context is paramount.

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What is in violation

Adobe allows some depictions of violence and gore, provided that the content is age-appropriate (based on the service’s target audience and the service’s visibility setting options). Promotion, glorification, or incitement of violence is never allowed. A further breakdown of what is not permitted is as follows:

Never permitted

Illegal or extreme violent content

Graphic violence

Not permitted within areas that are
highly visible
Moderate violence in conjunction with moderate or graphic gore
(for example, areas that have no visibility controls such as a Mature Content Wall)
Graphic gore

Note: Exceptions may be made for documentary or educational content.

Publishing illegal or extreme violent content can lead to an account-level restriction. Publishing the other categories of violence and gore with no visibility controls in place will lead to that content being removed or marked as “private” or “mature” where possible, and repeat violations can lead to account-level restriction. Factors such as the nature of the depiction, be it fine art or iconic imagery, photography or video, educational, or even the situation being depicted, can all significantly change the evaluation.

Policy definitions
Gore
Depictions of blood, bodily fluids, mutilation of body parts, or dismemberment to varying degrees (this applies to both humans and animals)
Graphic gore
Extensive depictions of blood, wounds, viscera, or mutilated body parts; excessive depictions of bodily fluids and dead bodies, with an element of realism to the depictions (whether fictional or not)
Moderate gore
Large amounts of blood on bodies and clothing, excessive depictions of bodily fluids, surface-level wounds
Mild gore
Minimal depictions of blood; no dead bodies or gore visuals
Violence

The depiction of physical force (threatened or actual) against oneself (see Adobe’s Self Harm Policy), another person/being, or a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, or psychological harm

Generally, includes depictions of murder; assault with or without a weapon; suicide; torture; or accidents resulting in death, injury, dismemberment, or death (depictions of the moment of violence and the visuals of the resulting injury will determine the severity of the descriptor —mild to graphic)

Illegal or extreme violent content
Content that promotes and/or glorifies violent acts; depictions/descriptions of torture/terrorist acts, self-harm, child abuse, animal abuse, and other comparable content; credible threats to inflict serious physical harm on others
Graphic violence
Staged or fictitious media that depicts death, violence, or serious physical injury in graphic detail; detailed depictions of violence that would likely lead to death or grave harm
Moderate violence
Violence that does not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury and is not prolonged (depictions of violence with some details are infrequent and brief); a combination of violence and some gore
Mild violence
Nongraphic cartoons, fantasy violence, sci-fi violence (peril), and fights; includes little to no gore
Promotion
To further the progress of something, especially a cause, venture, or aim; to support or actively encourage
Glorification
The action of describing or representing something as admirable, especially unjustifiably
Incitement
The action of provoking unlawful behavior or urging someone to behave unlawfully
Exceptions
Category
Description
Documentary

Addresses sensitive subjects and thematic in an age-appropriate manner.

Informative: History, science, culture, societal issues.

Educational or scientific
Anatomy diagrams; medical resources; public health PSAs.
Fine art
Sculptures, paintings, photographs featured in museums, educational materials, textbooks, historical materials, etc.
Newsworthy

Depictions of images relevant to a newsworthy event.

Commentary related to a political or national event. Image purpose should be relevant to the event.

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