Social network Tumblr is permanently banning adult content, despite it being a key factor in its long-term success. The site made the decision after an incident in mid-November, where the discovery of child pornography prompted Apple to remove the platform from its App Store. Starting December 17, Tumblr users will be strictly prohibited from posting sexual content and nudity, including pornographic photos, videos, and GIFs. There are a few exceptions, such as nude classical statues, images that do not depict sexual acts, and erotic text.
The new policy is a drastic change from Tumblr’s previous approach to regulating content. After Tumblr was formally acquired by Verizon’s Oath subsidiary in mid-June 2017, the company became more aggressive about removing content and began looking into more ways to restrict content. In February, the company made “safe mode” the default for all users, effectively shielding adult content creators from the rest of the platform unless users manually changed their settings. Last August, Tumblr announced new community guidelines that banned bullying pornography, hate speech, and posts that glorify gun violence.
Last month, a “routine review” of Tumblr posts uncovered content containing child sexual abuse material. While the illegal content was promptly removed, the incident — and the platform’s removal from Apple’s App Store — hastened the company’s desire to approach Tumblr differently.
For now, Tumblr's algorithms will flag existing posts that contain adult content, set them to private so they can no longer be shared, and warn users that the posts will be deleted after December 17.
“We’ve been thinking hard about who we want to be for our community as we move forward,” CEO Jeff D’Onofrio said in a post. “We’ve realized that to continue to deliver on our promise to culture, especially as it evolves, we need to change.”.
But as critics of the new policy have pointed out, adult content has been integral to Tumblr's evolution. Since its launch in 2007, the platform has been a popular host for sex sites and pornographic communities that enjoyed a safe, unrestricted space to call their own.
“There is no shortage of websites on the internet that contain adult content,” D’Onofrio writes of those protesting the ban. “We will focus our efforts on creating the most welcoming environment for our community.”.
But adult content was not only a key driver of Tumblr’s initial success, it was also essential to the site’s longevity. “The banning of adult content from Tumblr is a huge loss for the LGBTQ community, especially those with overlapping, marginalized identities,” said erotic film actress and activist Kitty Stryker. “For many of us, this was a place where we could find porn that represented us, from independent artists who created their own content away from an often racist industry. Tumblr was a place where our content could exist without restrictions.”
