Anger Ensues After Tumblr Announces New Content Restrictions

*By Samantha Errico* After Tumblr announced it would pull so-called "adult content" from its platform, a larger-than-expected group of users erupted in protest. According to Shannon Liao, a tech and culture reporter at The Verge, many flocked to the platform "to browse sex-positive blogs and also different kinds of curated porn," in a "safe place." "It turns out that most people are using Tumblr to browse adult content," she added. Starting Dec. 17, the social networking site will wipe itself clean of all things x-rated, include pornography and any explicit content. Tumblr's CEO Jeff D'Onofrio addressed the company's new policy in a [blog post](https://staff.tumblr.com/) on Monday, saying, "today, we’re taking another step by no longer allowing adult content, including explicit sexual content and nudity (with some exceptions)." This move comes after Tumblr was removed from from Apple's ($APPL) App store after child pornography was discovered on the site in November. Liao, who reported on the [ban](https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/3/18123752/tumblr-adult-content-porn-ban-date-explicit-changes-why-safe-mode) said, "Tumblr was also thinking about this in the long run for the last few months of whether it want to pivot to a different kind of platform or not include its own content on its platform anymore." As part of the new "safe mode," questionable content will be flagged by bots and algorithms and eventually removed. Users have the ability to appeal content once it's purged from the site. Liao said the company was likely pressured by internet activists to scrub its content. Tumblr's new filtered policy will go into effect mid-December.

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