The Tumblr Porn Ban

June 01, 2020

A photo of Ben Pettis standing in front of a blank wall with a confused look on his face. There is photo over the image which reads 'Female-Presenting Nipples'

I wrote my M.A. thesis about the Tumblr Porn ban of 2018 and how the community reponded to the sudden change in the platfortm's policy. Across many pages, the thesis considered social media platforms and the fluid nature of online spaces. Specifically, I examine the social network site (SNS) Tumblr and the controversy that surrounded its recently amended community guidelines and adult content policy. Tumblr had previously had somewhat of an “alternative” identity as compared to mainstream SNSs such as Facebook or Twitter. This identity had largely resulted from its previously lax policy toward pornography and other adult content. Such content had previously been allowed on the website, which enabled a wide degree of personal freedom and expression.

I spent about a year of my life researching and writing the thesis for my M.A. in communication studies. In the interest of making my research a bit more accessible, I wanted to explain my thesis in a shorter form. The original goal was something around 5 minutes, and I clearly missed the mark on that one...

Click here to read more about my M.A. thesis.