{"id":5054,"date":"2017-04-28T20:43:02","date_gmt":"2017-04-28T20:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rsoftsolution.com\/blog\/tumblr-just-added-a-switch-in-the-ios-settings-that-lets-you-turn-the-porn-back-on.html"},"modified":"2017-04-28T20:43:02","modified_gmt":"2017-04-28T20:43:02","slug":"tumblr-just-added-a-switch-in-the-ios-settings-that-lets-you-turn-the-porn-back-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/tumblr-just-added-a-switch-in-the-ios-settings-that-lets-you-turn-the-porn-back-on.html","title":{"rendered":"Tumblr just added a switch in the iOS Settings that lets you turn the porn back on"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an interesting change: Tumblr\u2019s iOS application<\/a> just received an update which now lets you turn\u00a0on or off adult-oriented, NSFW search results just by toggling a switch in iOS\u2019s Settings. That\u2019s right: you can now switch on or off the Tumblr porn with ease. Weirder still, Tumblr\u2019s note about the change in the App Store update text says this was implemented \u201cper Apple\u2019s content guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why is that weird?<\/p>\n

Because Apple\u2019s developer guidelines<\/a> \u2013 at least today \u2013 explicitly tell app developers not<\/em> to do this sort of thing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Above: Tumblr\u2019s iOS app update text\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Apple has never permitted\u00a0explicit apps whose sole purpose is to serve pornography, it long ago carved out an exception for social networks hosting\u00a0user-generated content, provided they agreed to filter and hide the NSFW content by default.<\/p>\n

This is\u00a0an issue that greatly impacts Tumblr, given that its blogging network is actually composed of a lot of porn. In fact, according to website analytics service SimilarWeb, \u201cadult\u201d content is the top category that drives\u00a0direct clicks to\u00a0Tumblr\u2019s desktop site, accounting for\u00a020.53% of clicks, compared with the next-largest referring category, \u201cbooks and literature,\u201d which drove just 7.61% of clicks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Above: Tumblr\u2019s new porn toggle<\/em><\/p>\n

Tumblr has always had\u00a0NSFW content, saying that its policy about this sort of material is a \u201clive-and-let-live\u201d kind of thing,<\/a> but it draws the line at actually hosting sexually explicit videos. (Embed them, it says.)<\/p>\n

To be allowed into the iTunes App Store, Tumblr\u00a0has had to filter out and hide this content in its iOS app by default. There\u2019s a loophole, though \u2013 as I\u2019m sure many\u00a0of you know.<\/p>\n

According to Apple\u2019s App Store Review Guidelines, apps like Tumblr are allowed to show the NSFW content\u00a0if the user turns the setting on via the service\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the full text, per Apple\u2019s App Store Review Guidelines<\/a>, about how this\u00a0system is supposed to work, emphasis ours:<\/p>\n

\n

Apps with user-generated content or services that end up being used primarily for pornographic content, objectification of real people (e.g. \u201chot-or-not\u201d voting), making physical threats, or bullying do not belong on the App Store and may be removed without notice. If your app includes user-generated content from a web-based service, it may display incidental mature \u201cNSFW\u201d content, provided that the content is hidden by default and only displayed when the user turns it on via your website.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Tumblr clearly fits in that latter category of apps that display \u201cincidental mature NSFW content,\u201d but it\u2019s now being told to put a toggle right in iOS\u2019s Settings?<\/p>\n

Hmmm.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The most logical explanation for this sort of change is that Apple will allow this setting to be locked down via its parental controls at some point. That\u2019s not the case right now, though.<\/p>\n

Under \u201cSettings\u201d \u2013 \u201cGeneral\u201d \u2013 \u201cRestrictions,\u201d you can block the kids\u00a0from using Apple\u2019s built-in apps, block app downloads, and can block apps based on their current rating. (Tumblr is rated 17+, for example). However, there is not a way\u00a0to force something like a Safe Search toggle switch to remain on.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Above: iOS 10\u2019s Restrictions screen<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that Apple will roll out improved parental controls in the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 11, which is expected to be announced at WWDC this summer. Perhaps it directed Tumblr to implement this setting\u00a0in preparation of that change. (And maybe Apple didn\u2019t expect Tumblr to code the fix so quickly\u2026or call it out in the app\u2019s update text!)<\/p>\n

Other apps where adult content could be a concern \u2013 like Google, Twitter, Reddit, Flickr, 500px, and Pinterest \u2013 don\u2019t currently offer this sort of toggle switch in the iOS Settings, even though they may offer content filtering mechanisms of their own in their apps or on their websites.<\/p>\n

Of course, another\u00a0explanation is that Apple is just chilling out about NSFW content in general, but that seems far less likely given the company\u2019s\u00a0historical position<\/a> on a being a family-friendly App Store.<\/p>\n

\u201cFolks who want porn can buy an Android phone,\u201d Steve Jobs famously\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Apple has not responded to requests for comment about the matter. Tumblr declined to comment.<\/p>\n

Disclosure: Yahoo owns Tumblr, and is in the process of being acquired by Verizon; Verizon owns TechCrunch parent company AOL.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Article source: http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/techcrunch\/social\/~3\/OlBlPOogmy0\/<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s an interesting change: Tumblr\u2019s iOS application just received an update which now lets you turn\u00a0on or off adult-oriented, NSFW search results just by toggling a switch in iOS\u2019s Settings. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[10,7,14,15,6,12,11],"class_list":["post-5054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-update","tag-computer-news","tag-downloads","tag-microsoft-download-news","tag-networking-updates","tag-technology-update","tag-wordpress-plugin-download","tag-wordpress-theme-download"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t