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Tumblr Removed From Apple's App Store Over Child Porn Issues (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the behind-the-scenes dept.

Tumblr has reportedly been removed from Apple's App Store due to child pornography issues. "The app has been missing from the store since November 16th, but until now the reason for its absence was unclear -- initially Tumblr simply said it was 'working to resolve the issue with the iOS app,'" reports The Verge. "However, after Download.com approached Tumblr with sources claiming that the reason was related to the discovery of child pornography on the service, the Yahoo-owned social media network issued a new statement confirming the matter." From the report: In its updated statement, Tumblr said that while every image uploaded to the platform is "scanned against an industry database of child sexual abuse material" to filter out explicit images, a "routine audit" discovered content that was absent from the database, allowing it to slip through the filter. Although Tumblr says the content was immediately removed, its app continues to be unavailable on the App Store. It's still available in the Google Play store for Android users, however.

3 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. What about all the browsers? by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why should Tumblr go, while things like Firefox and Chrome apps stay? Or most of all, what about Facebook and Twitter?

    At some point you just have to say, the internet is going to have unclean stuff, and general browsers can't police things. The same is true for any community kind of application like Tumblr.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:What about all the browsers? by sunking2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      When your business model is to make money off the content you serve then you are responsible for what you serve. I'm tired of people getting rich off of services they provide yet taking no responsibility for what is done with it. Cut your profits in half and do a better job. If you can't do that then go out of business.

    2. Re:What about all the browsers? by Xenx · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's a pile of bullshit, within the context of this conversation. Trying to completely prevent the content is an uphill battle. The company has systems in place to restrict the content. The system just cannot catch 100% of it, 100% of the time. Take a look at anti-viruses, or spam filters, or any other number of filter systems. They aren't fucking magic.