Tumblr iOS app removed over child pornography, users complain unrelated blogs are being purged

Chaos at Tumblr.

After users reported the Tumblr iOS app disappeared from Apple’s App Store over the weekend, the microblogging platform initially stated nothing more than they were “working to resolve the issue.” Days later, with the iPhone app still MIA, Tumblr has published a longer statement identifying the issue: child pornography on the platform.

In a statement on the announcement page of its help center, Tumblr writes:

“We’re committed to helping build a safe online environment for all users, and we have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to media featuring child sexual exploitation and abuse. As this is an industry-wide problem, we work collaboratively with our industry peers and partners like NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) to actively monitor content uploaded to the platform. Every image uploaded to Tumblr is scanned against an industry database of known child sexual abuse material, and images that are detected never reach the platform. A routine audit discovered content on our platform that had not yet been included in the industry database. Read more...