Tumblr’s late-2018 decision to ban porn on their platform hit the internet in the gut like a 99-cent spicy bean and cheese burrito from Taco Bell. As in, it hurt…a lot. Plenty of Tumblr’s users went to the site principally or exclusively to get their freak on — by perusing random nudes, following specific producers whose content they liked, or both.
There were murmurs of discontent all over the web when the Tumblr porn ban was announced, with promises commonly heard to cut the site off cold turkey if the ban actually went into effect. It was a threat that became reality with many, as Tumblr had lost over 30% of its traffic within just a few months of becoming pornsona-non-grata. Let’s talk about this seismic shift in online adult entertainment, its consequences, and just why Tumblr banned porn.