Apple removed Tumblr from the iOS App Store late last week because the Yahoo-owned social network failed to filter prohibited content, it emerged today.

The Tumblr app for iPhone and iPad went missing from the App Store on Friday, November 16. Shortly afterwards, Tumblr announced that it was "working to resolve an issue" with the app, but stopped short of explaining the problem.

New Tumblr Logo Design 1
It wasn't until Download.com approached Tumblr with sources claiming child pornography had been found on the service, that the social network issued a statement providing more information.

In its statement, Tumblr said that every image uploaded to the service is "scanned against an industry database of known child sexual abuse material," and images that are detected never reach the platform. However, a "routine audit" had revealed content that had not yet been included in the industry database, and Tumblr had acted "immediately" to remove it.

"Content safeguards are a challenging aspect of operating scaled platforms," it added. "We're continuously assessing further steps we can take to improve and there is no higher priority for our team."

This isn't the first time a popular app has been removed from the App Store for prohibited content. In February, Apple pulled encrypted messenger app Telegram from its store for violating Apple's iOS developer guidelines, which require all apps that host user-generated content include a method for filtering objectionable material from being posted.

When Telegram fell foul of Apple's guidelines, the app was back on the App Store within 24 hours. Tumblr said getting its app reinstated is its "top priority," yet it continues to be unavailable for iOS devices, although Android users can still download Tumblr via the Google Play Store.

(Via The Verge.)

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Top Rated Comments

Pakaku Avatar
87 months ago
We should remove safari too as you can find child pornography using that app!!
Tumblr is not a web browser, they're a website in control of their content (or at least tries to be)

this sort of argument is silly and makes no sense at all
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freddiebarnes Avatar
87 months ago
They better remove Twitter and Facebook and every other social media platform. They also better remove Safari. You can find lots of bad things searching on Apple’s own Safari.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
87 months ago
What about web browsers?

Definitely not excusing their behaviour!! Just unsure about the logic.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
perspective002 Avatar
87 months ago
They better remove Twitter and Facebook and every other social media platform. They also better remove Safari. You can find lots of bad things searching on Apple’s own Safari.
You know that Safari isn’t the one hosting that content on their servers right? Do you not understand how the internet works? There’s a reason that content hosting websites and internet browsers are extremely different.

To be clear, content providers are actually held responsible for what they house on their servers. If it’s illegal content, they can be held responsible. Apple made the right move.

Also, if child porn was found to be unfiltered on Facebook or Twitter, it’d be a much bigger story than this. Not all “bad things” you find is illegal content.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jsmith189 Avatar
87 months ago
Are the "ban Safari" crew being purposely facetious?

Apple aren't "in charge" or what you see in Safari. Guess we should remove the iPhone cameras then, to stop people from taking the photos. Or maybe just get rid of iPhones altogether, since there's a possibility that the user will store child pornography in the camera roll. We can't completely ban everything just because there's the potential that someone could misuse it - we can, however, hold services directly responsible for their hosted content. If Safari was a service that could be used, that would be different. If iCloud was a public gallery that hosted public content, that would be different.

Apple took steps to hold a company accountable for the content that they are directly hosting and their refusal to remove said content. I saw someone underage on Tumblr just last week, and despite blocking the account my reporting of it was met with silence. While Tumblr can't/shouldn't be held responsible for the upload, they should be held responsible for the removal. This move should be applauded, not met with criticism.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
breather Avatar
87 months ago
Tumblr and Pinterest is a scourge on the internet.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...