Google bans sexually explicit content on Blogger

[Himanshu Arora]

Less than an year after Google began cracking down on Blogger blogs that make money off of adult-themed ads, the company has banned sexually explicit material from the platform. The ban will come into effect next month.

The search giant has updated Blogger's adult content policy, saying that starting March 23, users will not be allowed to publicly share images and video that are sexually explicit or show graphic nudity on the blogging platform. The Mountain View, California-based company has also sent out emails to selected Blogger users informing them about the aforementioned change.

Existing blogs that continue to feature such content will be made private from that date, meaning the content itself won't be deleted, but it will be visible only to the owner or admins of the blog and the people who the owner has shared the blog with. On the other hand, new blogs created from March 23 that contain sexually explicit content may get deleted. "We may remove the blog or take other action," the search giant said.

However this doesn’t mean a blanket ban -- Google said it will still allow nudity if the content offers a substantial public benefit, for example in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts, although it will be mandatory for these types of blogs to show an interstitial warning to remain public.

When reached out for a comment, a Google spokesperson said, “We’ve updated our policy to fall in line with our policies across Google’s hosted products (including products like YouTube or Google+)."

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/59840-google-bans-sexually-explicit-content-blogger.html

 

[davislane1]

Doesn't impact me, but AFAIK the NSFW blogger sphere is as large as any of them (it is easier to aggregate porn than actually write original content). I'm sure this morning's service notification woke more than a few people up prior to the obligatory coffee.

 

[cmbjive]

"However this doesn’t mean a blanket ban -- Google said it will still allow nudity if the content offers a substantial public benefit, for example in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts, although it will be mandatory for these types of blogs to show an interstitial warning to remain public."


But, but, but, what about NET NEUTRALITY???!!!!!

 

[cliffordcooley]

Segregating Internet topics is not the same thing as blocking content from users.

 

[9Nails]

I once saw how disgusting the adult world can be when accidentally an anti-bullying blog, aimed at younger students, allowed it's domain to lapse and in it's place was porn ransomware domain hijacker.

 

[davislane1]

I once saw how disgusting the adult world can be when accidentally an anti-bullying blog, aimed at younger students, allowed it's domain to lapse and in it's place was porn ransomware domain hijacker.

On the hierarchy of Rule 34 specimens, smut-based ransomware doesn't even qualify for consideration. Morally repugnant considering the domain, certainly. But if you want a real shock story, there was a vine someone posted to twitter the other day showing [If you post something like this again, you will be banned. You have been warned.].

 

[cmbjive]

I once saw how disgusting the adult world can be when accidentally an anti-bullying blog, aimed at younger students, allowed it's domain to lapse and in it's place was porn ransomware domain hijacker.

On the hierarchy of Rule 34 specimens, smut-based ransomware doesn't even qualify for consideration. Morally repugnant considering the domain, certainly. But if you want a real shock story, there was a vine someone posted to twitter the other day showing [If you post something like this again, you will be banned. You have been warned.].

Regarding the stuff in bolding, either that's what you saw on Twitter, or you posted something reprehensible that Techspot deleted and typed the bolded wording.

 

[mailpup]

Cmbjive, the bolded sentence was not done by TechSpot. As far as I can tell it was done by davislane1.

 

[Sancticide]

You mean Yahoo now has a near monopoly on something? Never thought that would happen again.

 

[SNGX1275]

Google changed their minds: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2477475,00.asp

 

[cliffordcooley]

Just remember Blogger is potentially NSFW, recommend the site for our kids, and we will all be fine. Yeah, that is the punch line is it not? Trying to figure out which sites are still safe for our kids and keeping them that way.