Tumblr Pulled From Apple App Store Due to Child Porn

Blogging site’s filtering system didn’t spot illegal content

Tumblr, the popular blogging platform, has been removed from Apple’s App Store after child pornography made its way around the company’s filtering system.

The app was pulled on Nov. 16 and there’s no timeline for when it’ll be reinstated.

Tumblr was initially silent on why it was removed from the App store, but issued an updated statement on its disappearance on Monday, after Download.com reported its issues catching child porn. Tumblr, in its latest explanation, said that a “routine audit” found child porn content on its platform that wasn’t included in an industry database of illegal content the company uses to monitor its site.

Tumblr said that it immediately removed the child porn when it was detected. The company added that there’s “no higher priority” for its team than remedying the issue.

“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,” Tumblr said in its Help Center. “As this is an industry-wide problem, we work collaboratively with our industry peers and partners like [the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children] (NCMEC) to actively monitor content uploaded to the platform.”

Apple did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on a potential return to the App Store for Tumblr.

Comments