Tumblr’s filtering mistakes label safe posts as mature

Tumblr users are frustrated because their posts are being wrongly marked as “mature,” even when they’re harmless. This issue hides posts from many users who set their accounts to block mature content, reducing visibility for creators. Affected posts include innocent things like cat videos, fan art, and even photos of hands. Many believe Tumblr’s new AI-powered moderation system is causing these errors.

This problem isn’t unique to Tumblr. Other platforms like Pinterest and Instagram have faced similar issues with automated content flagging recently. Pinterest blamed an internal glitch, while Instagram stayed quiet. Tumblr confirmed the issue on its blog, admitting that posts are being mislabeled and promising to fix it. They’re also improving their appeal process to handle more user complaints, though details remain unclear.

Tumblr’s team said they’re testing new moderation tools, especially on their Android app, to better detect mature content. They aim to balance user safety with creative freedom, but didn’t confirm if AI is the main cause. Some suspect staffing cuts after Tumblr’s 2019 acquisition by Automattic, the company behind WordPress, may play a role. For now, users hope Tumblr will refine its system to stop these mistakes and restore their posts’ visibility.