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

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.

Comments

What about all the browsers?

[SuperKendall]

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.

Re:What about all the browsers?

[sunking2]

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.

Re:What about all the browsers?

[Xenx]

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.

Re:What about all the browsers?

[Narcocide]

Tumbler isn't a web browser. That's a false equivalence fallacy and you don't deserve any mod points for it. Feel shame.

Re:"an industry database of child sexual abuse mat

[fafalone]

I know it ruins the jokes but the database is stored as hashes, using something like PhotoDNA that survives basic alterations, they don't keep the actual material.

Delete spree

[Waccoon]

Yeah, I got a TON of messages yesterday from people (mostly artists) who were having their NSFW blogs torn down, even if the blogs were appropriately rated as such. Lots of people had their blogs removed and it has nothing to do with the actual content. Apparently, Tumblr's way of dealing with this problem was to use an automated script to ban a wide variety of blogs with the NSFW tag, and wait for the owners to file appeals.

Also, the real problem was apparently a rash of bots spamming NSFW ads, not specifically child porn. I guess as long as they're Thinking of the Children, it makes the widespread and unfair auto-ban of all NSFW content a bit more PR friendly. Most of the artists I follow that had content removed just draw cartoons, and there's no photos, let alone under-aged art.

Re:ChinaApple

[TheFakeTimCook]

Isn't it nice that Apple decides what software you can install on your own device?

Sorry. Even the First Amendment has limits.