Years after the initial crackdown on explicit content, Tumblr has announced certain types of nudity will again be allowed on the platform. The change has elicited both excitement and skepticism from users on the website.
Tumblr has been a hub for creatives, bloggers, fandom enthusiasts, and many more for just under two decades. The website has been a particularly popular hub for artists and photographers, with many using it to connect with other creatives or to build an audience for their work.
However, in 2018, Tumblr announced an initiative to remove all adult content. While the move was done to make the website more user-friendly for a wider group of people, it was accomplished through computer programs, and quantities of non-explicit content were flagged and blocked from view.
Since the ban, many avid Tumblr users have moved to other platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to showcase their content. Despite this, Tumblr has maintained a large user base, and a recent Community Guidelines update could convince past Tumblr fans to return to their accounts.
Tumblr users remain cautious about the nudity update
The Community Guidelines update, which was posted on the Staff Tumblr account, gives users a breakdown of what will be expected moving forward.
Users of the platform are already debating the changes both in the comments on social media websites like Twitter. In a post by Doubleca5t, many are skeptical about what the change will bring. One user says “Wait till we all find out it’s another false alarm” while another adds “But can I post censored scenes (art) ?? Because right now it keeps getting hidden, which I think is overreacting, IT’S CENSORED”.
It is important to note that while nudity depicting the human form has again been approved for posting, the Community Guidelines update clearly states that “visual depictions of explicit acts remain off-limits on Tumblr”. This includes all types of adult content.
While the lift may not include everything some users were hoping for, it could open the door for those who enjoy painting the human form, or who share nude photography. It is definitely an interesting step for the platform after strict nudity rules for the past several years.