Chance The Rapper is one of many Tumblr users who are displeased about the social networking website banning adult content — specifically sexually explicit content.
A blog post uploaded by Tumblr staff Dec. 3 detailed what would be changing on the site and when.
(JIM YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)
“Today, we’re taking another step by no longer allowing adult content, including explicit sexual content and nudity (with some exceptions). … Posts that contain adult content will no longer be allowed on Tumblr, and we’ve updated our community guidelines to reflect this policy change,” the post from CEO Jeff D’Onofrio said in part. “We recognize Tumblr is also a place to speak freely about topics like art, sex positivity, your relationships, your sexuality, and your personal journey. We want to make sure that we continue to foster this type of diversity of expression in the community, so our new policy strives to strike a balance.”
The policy will start being enforced on Monday, Dec. 17. Users will get a notice if they have content that is prohibited by the site and be sent a list of things they can do to make their content permissible.
Tumblr also noted that the changes won’t happen immediately and that it will rely on human moderators and automated tools to get content to fit within the new rules.
But the website’s explanation didn’t sit well with Chance. He took to Twitter Monday evening to share his astonishment that the microblogging site seems to be prioritizing nudity as an issue over explicit violence.
“They banning nipples on Tumblr but I’m seeing people get murdered graphically every day on this app. Like real snuff videos, non-related to police shootings. Wtf yo. That s—honestly terrible for my mental and f—ing up how I value human life. Help? @TwitterSupport,” he said Monday afternoon.
Several of Chance’s followers sided with him, too.
“Yes please! Sex is better than violence!”
“Facts.”
“Tumblr is gonna lose so many users.”
But while Tumblr recently announced a sweeping plan to clean up porn from its pages, it previously declared plans to outright ban hate speech, glorifying violence and revenge porn. The policy, announced in August, went into effect on Sept. 10.
