When web pioneer Yahoo announced its acquisition of social networking service Tumblr, Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Meyer said that the popular blogging platform will remain the same. However, users worry that Yahoo might bring in significant changes, and it seems that they are right. It has become apparent that Tumblr begins policing its adult and NSFW content, or “Tumblr porn” as some people call it.
While Tumblr still does not actively ban users from uploading and posting nude and NSFW images, the blogging platform has made significant changes on how users can search for adult-oriented content. For instance, blogs that are classified as “NSFW” (containing occasional nudity and adult content) or “adult” (containing adult-oriented material most of the time) will not appear on search pages for users who are not logged in or who have activated their “Safe Mode”.
Users who have logged in to Tumblr and have kept their “Safe Mode” turned off will still be able to feast on the NSFW blogs. However, adult blogs will no longer be indexed on third-party search engines and on Tumblr’s own search. This means that they would have to follow the Tumblr porn blogs to be able to see that content in their dashboards.
Another change in Tumblr’s search function is that blogs that rely on certain hashtags around a certain topic may no longer be included in searches if their site is tagged as NSFW or adult.
But the most significant update can be found in Tumblr’s mobile app, which is now rated 17+ because its former 4+ rating did not account the amount of Tumblr porn that can be accessed in the app. Despite the rating change, content from NSFW and adult blogs remain invisible in searches, as well as specific hashtags like “gay” and “bisexual”.
In a statement, Tumblr claims that its “longstanding policy regarding NSFW content has not changed” and that it still believes in the importance of free expression, “we are constantly taking measures to ensure our users can avoid this content unless they’d like to see it.”
Users react with calm and restraint… not. Some are bothered that even at this day and age, LGBT issues remain as “not safe for work” and should not be accessed by young people.
Source: Mashable
