X-rated content to disappear from Tumblr

Tumblr, a global microblogging website, will strictly prohibit adult content under a new set of guidelines.

In a statement titled “A better, more positive Tumblr,” Tumblr CEO Jeff D ’Onofrio announced, “Today, we’re taking another step by no longer allowing adult content, including explicit sexual content and nudity (with some exceptions).”

The social media platform, which is often used to share photos, has been accused of being a hotbed of pornography and spycam footage. The website was responsible for three-fourths of the adult content flagged by the Korea Communication Standards Commission in 2017.

The new guidelines will be in place as of Dec. 17.

Tumblr will establish a machine-monitoring system and create a team of human moderators to delete adult content, especially child pornography and information deemed harmful to minors. Photos that sexualize minors will be reported to law-enforcement authorities.

Considering Tumblr’s role as a place for creative expression, the new guidelines will still allow nudity for art, education or political purposes.

Users can contact Tumblr Support if their content is reported, but they disagree with the decision.

By Lee Tae-hee (taeheelee@heraldcorp.com)