Tumblr has announced that it will ban all adult content from its platform starting December 17, 2018. The change arrives weeks after Tumblr’s app was pulled down from Apple’s App Store for child pornography.
Explicit content on Tumblr will be flagged and the posts will be switched to a private mode which will be made visible only to the account holder, the company notes in its community policy.
In a post, CEO Jeff D’Onorio stressed Tumblr had always had a ‘zero tolerance policy’ to such content, but wanted to improve safety on the site.
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“Our actions are out of love and hope for our community,” he wrote.
New community guidelines state users cannot upload ‘real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples’ – including anything ‘so photorealistic’ it could be thought to be genuine.
Founded 11 years ago, Tumblr is a platform where users can publish text, images and videos quickly, as well as share and comment on other submissions. The site’s popularity peaked in 2014.
However, the site said posts featuring nudity that are ‘artistic, educational, newsworthy, or political’ are acceptable and will not necessarily be removed.
Users who have adult content posts will receive notices which will tell them how to appeal against a ban, or how to ‘preserve their content outside the community.’
Content which falls under the ambit includes photos, videos, or GIFs with real-life human genitals or other illustrations depicting sex acts, the company’s policy describes. Written content including erotica, nudity related to political or newsworthy speech, art, illustrations can be freely posted.