Tumblr

Tumblr banning sexual content, “female-presenting nipples” and more

Remember Tumblr? The microblogging platform had been in decline before Yahoo bought it in May of 2013 for $1.1 billion dollars, although that certainly didn’t help matters; Yahoo wound up writing off around $700 million in value of the purchase before they were purchased themselves by Verizon Oath in 2017. The latest announcement out of Tumblr HQ may actually be the final nail in the coffin, though; in a message from president and CEO Jeff D’Onofrio, Tumblr announced that as of December 17, “adult content,” including “images, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples —this includes content that is so photorealistic that it could be mistaken for featuring real-life humans (nice try, though)” will no longer be allowed on the platform.

The Tumblr Help Center expands on content that will still be allowed:

Examples of exceptions that are still permitted are exposed female-presenting nipples in connection with breastfeeding, birth or after-birth moments, and health-related situations, such as post-mastectomy or gender confirmation surgery. Written content such as erotica, nudity related to political or newsworthy speech, and nudity found in art, such as sculptures and illustrations, are also stuff that can be freely posted on Tumblr.

Under the heading “why are we doing this?” Jeff D’Onofrio’s announcement reads:

It is our continued, humble aspiration that Tumblr be a safe place for creative expression, self-discovery, and a deep sense of community. As Tumblr continues to grow and evolve, and our understanding of our impact on our world becomes clearer, we have a responsibility to consider that impact across different age groups, demographics, cultures, and mindsets. We spent considerable time weighing the pros and cons of expression in the community that includes adult content. In doing so, it became clear that without this content we have the opportunity to create a place where more people feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Bottom line: There are no shortage of sites on the internet that feature adult content. We will leave it to them and focus our efforts on creating the most welcoming environment possible for our community.

According to Tech Crunch, web analytics service SimilarWeb estimated that adult content drove around 20% of clicks to Tumblr’s desktop site last year. In that sense, it’s sometimes been considered the alternative to sites like Instagram with strict anti-nudity policies.

As to what, exactly, constitute “female-presenting nipples,” your guess is as good as ours.