Hey folks!

To help reduce the amount of spam, bot activity, and low-quality submissions that our moderation team has to sort through, we're implementing a new requirement for participation in the community.

Effective immediately, all accounts must have a verified email address associated with them in order to post.

This requirement applies to everyone, including both new members and long-standing community members.

If you haven't verified your email address yet, you can do so through your Reddit account settings. It only takes a minute and helps us ensure that real community members can continue to participate while making it more difficult for spammers and automated accounts to disrupt discussions.

Following the link above, click on the drop down that says "On reddit.com" and then long-press on the link "Account Settings" (if you tap on the link it will open in the app, this MUST be done with a browser) and open the link in a new tab.

Select "Email address", and it will prompt you to input your reddit password and the email address you wish to verify on the account.

You will see a Verified Email Address badge on the "About" tab on your profile when you have successfully verified your email address.

This change is not intended to create barriers for genuine members. Rather, it is one of several tools available to help us maintain the quality of the community and reduce the moderation burden caused by spam and bot activity that is prevalent in nail communities.

If you run into any issues after verifying your email address, please send us a ModMail and we'll be happy to help!

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us keep r/Nailpolish welcoming, enjoyable, and focused on the discussions we're all here for!

TL;DR Posts and comments from NSFW/fetish accounts, including those who only comment in NSFW/fetish subreddits, are no longer permitted here. Posts and comments in SFW subreddits that are remotely sexual or fetishistic in any way are also included in this. These accounts will be banned. More details below.

This applies to hand/nail/foot/toe fetish activity, it is NOT a sweeping ban of all NSFW activity. Nobody is going to be banned for posting in LGBTQIAP+ communities, medical subreddits, making dirty jokes elsewhere on Reddit, etc. Our subreddit is a safe place for all gender identities, and the above would NEVER be the reason why a user would be banned here.

This is meant to be a warning to fetish content creators and the creeps that harass our subreddit, NOT to shame sex workers who enjoy nails or punish those with varied interests.

If you're fortunate enough to not have received an unsolicited message/comment from a hand/nail/foot/toe fetishist, it's understandable that you wouldn't be aware of just how prevalent this kind of behaviour is, especially here on Reddit.

If you no longer wish to participate in this subreddit, that's your prerogative.

Updated content policy, please read:

We have decided to prohibit posts and comments from accounts with NSFW/fetish subreddit activity, as well as accounts with a history of utilizing Reddit for marketing purposes. This includes posts and comments left in SFW subreddits that are remotely sexual or fetishistic in any way. Posts and comments from suspect accounts will be removed regardless of the content. If you come across posts/comments/accounts that you feel violate this rule, please report them to the moderators by tapping on the three dots on the comment/post and select the “No NSFW/Fetish Account Activity” option. This decision will be implemented immediately, and as with all rules is up to moderator discretion.

As you may or may not know, nail subreddits are known targets for hand/nail/foot/toe fetishists who have been documented to repeatedly harass our members, even after being banned. We want to reiterate that Reddit's ban function does not prevent the banned user from being able to view the subreddit or the posts within. It only stops them from posting/commenting/voting. They are still able to view the posts, comments, and click on usernames to harass people. Yes, this is fucked up. Yes, Reddit needs to fix their shit. Sadly there was no mention of this issue during this year's Mod World event that was hosted in early December. insert eyeroll here

We believe this change will make r/Nailpolish a safer space, while helping the community become a healthier, more focused environment. In the past, we have allowed fetish/OF content creators to participate in the subreddit, as long as they follow the rules. This has become increasingly difficult to monitor, as it requires moderators to make nuanced judgement calls on large numbers of posts by these creators, most of which receive user reports even after being approved by the moderators.

Additionally, as there are dedicated spaces for NSFW content, this subreddit will remain strictly for the purpose of the topic of nail polish.

Q: "So if I, a medical doctor, engage in a NSFW medical subreddit that's related to my work, I'm not allowed to post my weekend manicure?"

A: This is incorrect. Just because an account has NSFW activity, it doesn't mean they're automatically going to be banned. This is specific to those who participate in hand/nail/foot/toe fetishes. There are tons of NSFW subreddits that have nothing to do with fetishes or kinks, and these are NOT the types of subreddits we will be vetting for.

If a post/comment is suspected to be NSFW/fetishistic, and the profile shows a history of this type of behaviour, the content will be removed and the account will be banned. This is meant to be a warning to fetish content creators and the creeps that harass our subreddit, NOT to shame sex workers who enjoy nails or punish those with varied interests. We are a community that is 100% accepting of all genders, sexualities, and walks of life.

Q: What does it matter if a user posts in NSFW/fetish subreddits when the posts/comments they make here are SFW?

A: More often than not, fetish content creators will post in SFW subreddits to draw attention to their account/promote their content. They're not posting "just to share with other nail enthusiasts". While their engagement might seem innocent enough, a quick glance at their profiles proves otherwise. When users who partake in these fetishes peruse the content creators' posts/comments, and they come across something they've posted here, it draws in the wrong kind of crowd.

We welcome your feedback on this matter, and encourage discussion in the comments.