Tumblr porn ban goes into effect as huge numbers of posts disappear from site

Automated ban has gone famously wrong already

The Tumblr application is seen on a mobile phone in this illustration photo March 7, 2018 (REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration)

Tumblr's ban on pornography is now in place, with a huge number of posts being wiped off the site entirely.

Users will see their previously public posts disappear as the ban goes into effect. Many users have already indicated they are planning to leave the site because of the ban, and a movement known as the "log off" protest has tried to encourage even more.

Tumblr announced the ban earlier this month. It was initially met with a vast backlash, by users who said it would penalise the substantial number of sex-positive, LGBT and sex worker communities that have unified around the site, which has traditionally been less conservative than other social networks.

Anyone who is hosting the images on their blog will be able to appeal to Tumblr, which will then have the option of reinstating them.

There might be plenty to appeal. As soon as the ban was announced, Tumblr started flagging posts it considered explicit and which would be hidden when the new rules went into effect – but it brought up a whole range of entirely innocent posts, many of which seemed to have been flagged because they had something the vague colour of skin or a shape that was akin to something on the human body.

Tumblr staff posted a blog post as the ban went into effect to apologise for those problems and explain why the introduction of the new rules had proven so difficult.

"First and foremost, we are sorry that this has not been an easy transition and we know we can do a better job of explaining what we’re doing," its team wrote. "We knew this wasn’t going to be an easy task and we appreciate your patience as we work through the challenges and limitations of correctly flagging tens of billions of GIFs, videos, and photos."

It also made clear that the ban will mean posts are hidden, not deleted, so they can be seen by the people who first posted them but nobody else. And it said that the ban is being rolled out gradually, meaning the site "will gradually, and carefully, flag more adult content" in the coming weeks.

It also attempted to specifically addressed the widespread criticism that the site was

"Tumblr will always be a place to explore your identity," it wrote. "Tumblr has always been home to marginalized communities and always will be.

"We fully recognize Tumblr’s special obligation to these communities and are committed to ensuring that our new policy on adult content does not silence the vital conversations that take place here every day. LGBTQ+ conversations, exploration of sexuality and gender, efforts to document the lives and challenges of those in the sex worker industry, and posts with pictures, videos, and GIFs of gender-confirmation surgery are all examples of content that is not only permitted on Tumblr but actively encouraged."