Tumblr Is Allowing NSFW Content on Its Platform Again in Light of Recent Twitter Drama

If you remember what a "Superwholockian" is, then you might have been part of the Tumblr craze during its years of popularity in the mid-2010s. Originally launched in 2007, this microblogging social media platform allows users to post blog content and multimedia on a dashboard interface that lets you scroll through recent posts. For many millennials, it was a fandom-focused platform where people discussed Doctor Who, Supernatural, Sherlock, and other media in extensive, almost obsessive detail.

In 2018, the platform rolled out controversial new guidelines on NSFW content, essentially banning nudity, pornographic material, and infamously, "female-presenting nipples" from being displayed on the site. The move caused many users to make the jump to other sites with looser restrictions like Twitter.

But in light of recent drama involving ownership of Twitter, Tumblr has introduced new guidelines that may just mean the end of the ban on NSFW content. Here's what you should know.

As of November 2022, Tumblr has rolled out new Community Guidelines for its content outlined in a blog post. Previously in late September, the site rolled out "Community Labels," which allow users to label any posts that contain sensitive or mature themes so that anyone filtering that content can continue to blog and reblog safely.

To supplement that, the new guidelines promise to "welcome a broader range of expression, creativity, and art on Tumblr."

While using the aforementioned Community Labels, users will now be able to post NSFW and mature multimedia safely and easily. However, this does not include "visual depictions of sexually explicit acts," as the platform is reportedly still working on ways to provide better support for porn communities on its platform. However, this still represents a calculated step for the platform toward allowing all manner of artists and content creators to freely and safely express themselves.

The new guidelines come as Twitter faces an uncertain future. The site was recently acquired by controversial tech billionaire and woefully-unfunny SNL host Elon Musk, who reportedly tried to back out of the deal over the course of several months. As of the acquisition, he's already fired four top executives at the site with several others having quit on their own. Thanks to the new ownership, Tumblr may be positioning itself to be an alternative platform for people who decide to leave Twitter.

While "sexually-explicit acts" are still off-limits on Tumblr, the site has assured that their looser restrictions include "the naked human form." We can reasonably take those statements to mean that nudity for all genders will be allowed on the platform once more, provided that they make proper use of the Community Labels.

If these new guidelines are any indication, Tumblr is once again presenting itself as a safe place for artistic expression and female-presenting nipples.

Superwholockians, grab your whatevers.