For some, One Direction is merely a British boy band that sang “What Makes You Beautiful” and introduced the world to Harry Styles. But for fanfic lovers in the mid-2010s, the band and its members were also their lovers, adoptive parents, and sometimes even their kidnappers.
These fantasies often unfolded on Wattpad, an online platform where writers can publish their work directly for readers looking for niche original stories that for decades has captivated a cult-like following for users looking to read steamy content that is otherwise unavailable in mainstream bookstores.
To put it into context, Wattpad is a space where eyes are described as “blue orbs,” messy-bun-wearing hipsters can be spotted at a crowded concert by the lead singer of a band, and young female readers can insert their own names into any world of their choosing—from Harry Potter, One Direction, or even original worlds.
But a recent online rumor has put fans at odds with the platform, with users spotting popular fan fiction genres taken down on the platform at the same time language in the platform’s guidelines shifted, claiming Wattpad banned explicit content or “smut.”
“BEING SOLD TO ONE DIRECTION IS NOW AGAINST THE TERMS OF SERVICE ON WATTPAD??? this is the start of the end,” a user said on X. Another replied to the thread saying, “We’re about to lose the ancient texts.”
Another user said on X, “Wattpad needs to get a grip on who they are and the audience they serve you would be NOTHING without one direction smut on your godforsaken app.”
But while the rumor spread like wildfire online, in reality, the guidelines didn’t actually change.
“We recently updated some of the language in our Content Guidelines to make our policies clearer and easier to understand, adding more specificity about what has always been allowed and not allowed on our platform,” Wattpad spokesperson told Fast Company. “Our policies, content categories, and how we moderate have not changed.”
In a sense, stories taken down following the language change would have been in violation of guidelines before the change happened as well, with the timing being merely coincidental.
Still, the rumor reached enough users that the company had to clarify the situation via a blog post, saying “Wattpad has always been a place to tell stories that are steamy, complicated, romantic, weird, emotional, and everything in between. This isn’t changing.”
The great AO3 migration
Amid the confusion on Wattpad’s guidelines, users on social media took it upon themselves to find an alternative space, with many flocking to Archive of Our Own (AO3).
Known as more of a virtual library with much less moderation and regulation than other platforms, AO3 also houses popular fan fictions although these often feature more taboo subjects and more explicit language than that found elsewhere.
But ironically, for users fleeing Wattpad’s alleged censorship, AO3 was too liberal of a space, with many reporting stories on the platform to the dismay of regular users.
“So hilarious (frustrating) that wattpad banned smut and now its users are crowding ao3 and reporting fics with tags they don’t like. a group of kids unable to see the consequences of their own actions,” one user shared on X.
Another added, “imagine leaving wattpad because of censorship just to start reporting things you personally don’t like.”
Beyond the cultural clash between AO3 and Wattpad users, the situation is resurfacing the old internet tradition of fan fiction, highlighting a time before writers online looked to make the jump from Wattpad to the mainstream
For instance, popular Wattpad stories led to popular movies and shows, like the five-movie franchise After, which was based on a Harry Styles fan fiction, and even The Kissing Booth. But success stories like these became a sort of incentive for writers on Wattpad. On AO3, the writing is meant just for sharing and creating.
“I actually never ever want AO3 to be censored bc nothing is more fun than reading the tags on a fic and going “huh. didn’t know there was a market for that,” a user said.
Another user added, “AO3 is an archive, wattpad users. It’s not a social media site and it doesn’t have an ingrained algorithm. You will not get famous. Your fics will not be recommended automatically by the system. You post your fics for the love of the game, that’s it.”
