Video and image sharing site Tumblr has seen an enormous drop in traffic following new policies regarding adult content on the site. Imagine that.
Tumblr instituted the new rules beginning in December. The site now prohibits “photos, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples.” Traffic fell from 521 million monthly page views in December to 437 million in January. February fared no better, with traffic plummeting to 370 million views.
Related: Memers lament as Tumblr’s impending ban on adult content draws nearer
The announcement of the prohibition of adult content on Tumblr was met with immediate criticism from artists and photographers in the LGBTQ community, who felt the move would disproportionately affect queer people. Artist Courtney Trouble criticized the move, saying “the Tumblr ban on adult content will affect queer and trans users by taking away a vital social component to a community that is bound together by their sexual orientation and sexual desire. Without social media that allows this kind of exploration, we are losing a lot.” Activists also organized a “log-off” protest, attempting to send a message to the Tumblr bosses.
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LthrboyGeorge
Their traffic ought to tumble to Zero. I deleted my account & erased all links.
ps – Why is it Okay to show Male Nipples but not Female Nipples?
@HarryB at q-meet.us
no genitals – no traffic
Greg
That’s one of the double standards. I have no idea. Not that I want to see women’s nipples. But it’s weird. You can see all of the rest of the boob, but not the nipple? I would think it would be the other way around, because men have nipples too.
Vallin
I just posted this on Tumblr without any mention of my genitalia.
Vallin
Fetlife is the NEW Facebook/Tumblr.
Kangol
There’s also newTumbl, and many people have just shifted to Twitter, which does allow graphic adult sexual content.
ElPillo
Well, Vallin. Check in a couple of days
ORPHEUS
I could NEVER say that I was “surprised” by this. In fact, I–and countless others–have proved accurate in our predictions. One of the very last things that we, as cognizant and consenting adults, should ever have within our lives, is SOMEONE-ELSE policing our existence. It is insulting to have ANY entity, making draconian-decisions about what THEY deem “acceptable” for US, then “covering our eyes” within actual and–in this case–theoretical fashion. Is it “too much” to expect Tumblr to reverse its policy and treat its clientele like the adults that we are?–Of course it is not too much. But I suspect that as the online-institution loses more visitors, then they shall have an eventual “reversal” of policy; And, with the “political side-step” of it being, “for the sake of the viewers'”.—Viewers, whose intelligence should never have been insulted, and should have been–therefore–Respected, in the first place.
sputnik53
I knew as soon as I saw the name of the new owners of Tumblr this was going to happen. Their name is OATH. With a name like that ( Think of OATH KEEPERS ) should any one of us be surprised?
And fat chance their going to change anything, anytime soon.
animatedgifman
The same common sense logic I have used whenever the need to move arose or when considering the purchase of a home or renting a property. If it has any sort of “Homeowners” or “Condominium” Association associated with it or if it is a rental property managed on behalf of an absentee owner by a Realty Management Company, I avoid such property like the plague. Invariably such entities are all about what I can’t do in my own home. My philosophy is if I’m not sleeping with you and you aren’t paying my rent then you don’t have sh*t from Shinola to tell me about anything.
Tumblr should have known it is porn (or rather nudity) that drives all those page loads and gets the advertising looked at.
Greg
@animatedgifman – It’s, “you don’t know shit from shine-ola”
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
This nonsense is so out of control. A veiled attempt by right wing conservative nutbags seeking to ban porn to “prevent child trafficking” is having ridiculous implications.
It is seenot only Tumblr. I subscribe to various You Tube channels. One shows various persons with disabilities overcoming the obstacles to live rich lives. Because it sometimes features disabled children: shut down
. Another is this quirky little kid who is a tech genius. Because he is a kid: shut down.
These channels have NOTHING controversial nor adult themed.
The far right is using I hate to admit it ingenious methods to impose their twisted will and views upon the rest of the country.. Companies are kowtowing to these lunatics. And they are becoming more empowered.
COMING SOON: Having to purchase a permit to view porn. Already happening in Europe. In two states already have bills introduced.
iamru2
It’s not just the right wingers but also the alt left who have deemed themselves the anointed arbiters of what is acceptable in society. So the vast majority of us who fall somewhere in the middle suffer due to the fanatical extremes on both sides.
wordsmith
We license our dogs and bicycles, our ability to drive, and our ability to vote. We used to have to show ID (a form of license) to go to adult theaters. We still show ID (real or fake) to drink. If having a license to view porn cuts out all the extraneous and petty restrictions and bullshit, then bring it.
djmcgamester
Yet they leave the channel for the 11 year old drag queen who partially undresses on stage (in a bar) and collects tips. No rhyme or reason with YT.
montegutdude
No. There should not be a database to track who is watching what. People have rights. Liberty and due process among them. And I don’t support the censorship either. We should resist these pushes toward conformity. People can decide for themselves what’s good or bad and be judged on their actions.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Djgamester: Look a troll has crawled out from under it’s rock and slithered onto Queerty!!
You are talking about Desmond. An extremely talented 100% well adjusted kid with very supportive Parents. There is NOTHING suggestive nor nefarious regarding his performances except from sick, vile, abhorrent pedophiles who seek to sexualize and fantasize about his performances. Ring a bell???
QJ201
Well there’s always following porn stars and exhibitionists on twitter.
iamru2
We’re in the second Victorian age thanks in part to the pound me too fanatics!
wordsmith
Are you blaming the (long overdue) movement fighting sexual violence against women for this assinine decision by Tumblr?
iamru2
My statement is pretty clear!
rdw3768
Totally agree with you there
Brian
This liberal prudishness age started way before the metoo movement did.
iamru2
@ brian Indeed, pound me too just accelerated it all and made it worse.
Kangol
@iamru2 & @brian, you mean the right-wing prudishness age that started under Ronald Reagan with the Meese Commission that tried to ban pornography, and that has continued in various offshoots since then? You mean the conservative and Christianist fanatics who denounce pornography on the one hand but then devour it secretly online, as numerous studies (Google it!) show? I mean, come on. Yes, there are liberal prudes and people who go overboard in their attempts to call out sexism and misogyny, but they are easily matched or overmatched by those on the right who love to denounce sex and sexual expression but as soon as the closet doors close can’t wait to try out everything they’ve been screeching about. Anti-gay toe-tapping hypocrite Republican Senator Larry Craig was a perfect example of this.
Brian
No Kangol, I mean the liberal prudishness age. Which is why I said that. Pearl clutching liberals are by far the loudest voice of attempted censorship today. They just thump us with fear of being called racist or homophobic instead of fear of God.
iamru2
@kangol yup they were pretty bad too. But currently the far left is acting like the far right use to act with all their moralizing and acting like they are the chosen ones to tell the rest of us how to behave. I despise both extremes.
crdelavega89104
I abandoned my account. Twitter is my new home enjoying immensely
gyntlgynt
Its just like What Craigslist had to do with its Personal’s.
Jboo
I literally forgot about tumblr until this was posted. Just goes to show yah I guess.
ShowMeGuy
I had two tumblr pages. One for adult stuff and one for rollercoaster/amusement park stuff. My adult page was gutted by tumblr’s new standards and my coaster page has even seen a drastic drop in traffic. Tumblr is a shell of its former self.
BDSMLR and FetLife are my new homes for “pervy fun”.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Djgamester: Look a troll has crawled out from under it’s rock and slithered onto Queerty!!
You are talking about Desmond. An extremely talented 100% well adjusted kid with very supportive Parents. There is NOTHING suggestive nor nefarious regarding his performances except from sick, vile, abhorrent pedophiles who seek to sexualize and fantasize about his performances. Ring a bell???
jay604
I used to post photos of beautiful young men, 18 and up, as well as beautiful men but no nudity on a weekly basis and each postings are peppered with ads (not my ads but ads that pay Tumblr.) The posts had several followers. I quit posting since their ban came into effect as it the site was not showing men in underwear. The ban is pointless. They will continue to lose more followers and revenue until they change their policy
martin_erickson
And I for one don’t plan to return even if Tumblr’s restrictive, unjust, prudish, discriminatory policies DO change!!
Gary Q VV
How many times have these righteous people and organizations been exposed as being guilty of more heinous activities than simply viewing photography that’s showing the human body, or showing the sexual acts between consenting adults. The perverts here are those who fear and oppose this beautiful thing which is our right. If you’re religious convictions forbids you from viewing such imagery and acts, then don’t do it and keep your convictions to yourself.
nastya_rotchakakoff
animatedgifman, Right on! You hit the proverbial nail right on it’s insidious head!
radiooutmike
I loved Tumlr…up until December.
I had my own page. I posted porn gifs and pics I liked. It was nice not having to go through the bullshit to watch something to turn me on. I even helped one guy come out. Now, it’s just a shell of it’s former self.
nastya_rotchakakoff
Here it is 2 days later after responding to a comment above with truth and still it says “awaiting moderation” … censorship again? Come on queerty!
alllowercase
I have decided to keep posting as usual. Each time they flag an item as inappropriate, I ask them to review it. Imagine what would happen if we all did that for say a week!