Tumblr Makes iPhone App 17+ Over Porn Potential

Microblogging service and teen-favorite Tumblr has quietly scaled up its iOS app age warning, giving the latest version a 17+ recommendation in what appears to be a preemptive defense against Apple's latest porn witch hunt. Tumblr for iOS was updated overnight to version 3.2.4 [iTunes link], but in addition to "small bug fixes" the refreshed app also demanded users confirm they are 17 or over.

The nature of the Tumblr service – following multiple other users, who either post or reblog images, text, video, audio, and links – means that the sort of content you see depends largely on the sort of people you follow. However, there's plenty of adult content to be found, something which may have prompted Tumblr to take a more cautious approach to its app rating.

Apple has had a crack-down on erotica-filled apps in recent weeks, first yanking apps by 500px from the App Store after they were found to contain x-rated material, and then triggering a flurry of activity over at Twitter-run Vine which inadvertently made a sexual image an "editor's pick." Twitter blamed human error for the mistake, though the Vine app [iTunes link] is still rated at 12+ in the App Store.

Tumblr is yet to comment publicly on the decision to reclassify the app's age rating, but it's worth noting that the Android counterpart to the iOS software is still considered "low maturity" in Google's Play store. Whether Tumblr's move will be sufficient to avoid Apple's ire this time around remains to be seen.

[via CNET]