In a move that’s sure to spark a backlash, Tumblr has agreed to censor pornography at the request of the Korean government. The company will monitor the content of its Korean website and work with Korea’s censorship group to enforce its laws.
This is a change from last year, when Tumblr refused to honor KCSC’s request to censor pornography and prostitution-related posts by arguing that it was a US-based company without a physical presence in the country.
Tumblr’s response to South Korea’s censorship requests
The South Korean government has asked Tumblr to censor pornography content. But Tumblr has refused to do so, arguing that it is a U.S.-based company that is regulated by American law. According to a lawmaker, Tumblr has rejected the government’s request to self-regulate adult content on its site.
Tumblr’s refusal to censor prostitution content highlights the difficulty that tech companies face when dealing with governments that have different views on free speech and privacy. While many countries have laws that restrict pornography, most of them do not apply to social media. This is why it’s important for tech companies to have clear policies regarding how they deal with censorship requests from foreign governments.
South Korea is a highly industrialized country with one of the highest GDPs in the world, but its citizens are not guaranteed freedom of expression. The government has a history of censorship, most recently when President Park Geun-hye threatened to punish public critics who have criticized her. Her actions were motivated by Article 21, which allows the government to censor content that dishonors the government or its leader.
In addition to this, there are also laws that prohibit certain content, such as racial hatred and hate crimes. The government uses these laws to censor websites and impose repressive restrictions on the freedom of speech of its citizens. The government has even been known to blacklist artists who have criticized the government. This includes Oldboy director Park Chan-wook, Snowpiercer actor Song Kang-ho, and Man Booker Prize winner Han Kang.
Tumblr has refused to cooperate with the KCSC’s request to censor pornography in the past, but it appears that it will do so again. The KCSC has submitted 22,468 requests to Tumblr over the last year. Of these, 97 percent were refused. Twitter received 1,771, Instagram 12, and Facebook five.
Tumblr’s policy on censorship is clear and well-defined, and it will continue to refuse to censor pornography content in the face of these requests. But its policies are complicated by the fact that a large part of its user base is interested in pornography. As a result, Tumblr may have to make some concessions in order to maintain its business model.
Tumblr’s response to Indonesia’s censorship requests
JAKARTA — Indonesia’s ministers turned Tumblr offline this week after the US social media platform failed to comply with a government request to scrub its site of pornographic content. The ministry of information said that it had received multiple reports of obscenity and had asked Tumblr to remove such content within 48 hours. The ministry did not say what would happen if the company did not comply. It has previously blocked sites like Netflix and Vimeo because of violent or pornographic content.
The blocking of Tumblr is part of Indonesia’s ongoing crackdown on obscenity online. Last year, the country threatened to ban WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger unless they removed obscene Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images. In an apparent attempt to placate the nation’s morality police, the companies relented and removed the GIFs.
While large tech companies have largely navigated the issue of government censorship on a case-by-case basis, Indonesia’s recent move represents an escalation in the country’s conservatism and growing intolerance of anything that might offend moral sensibilities. Earlier this year, Google pulled the gay dating app Blued from its service in Indonesia at the government’s request.
A spokesperson for Tumblr’s local parent, Yahoo, declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy policies. However, he did note that the company has already made changes in response to requests from South Korea and Russia. “Tumblr will continue to work with the local authorities to find reasonable solutions in areas where our laws differ,” he said.
Tumblr’s block in Indonesia has left users feeling betrayed. Many have complained about being unable to use their accounts, and others have taken to social media to vent their frustration. In a statement, Telkomsel, the country’s largest telecommunications company and Internet service provider, said it had blocked Tumblr because of its pornographic content, which violates the nation’s strict anti-pornography laws.
Tumblr’s decision to comply with the censorship requests will likely have negative implications for its global business. The company has more than 420 million blogs, and a significant percentage of them are sexually explicit in nature. The company has also been the target of other attempts at censorship, including South Korea’s repeated requests to delete posts related to prostitution and pornography.
Tumblr’s response to the Burning Sun scandal
A new scandal is brewing in South Korea involving celebrities and pornography. Police are investigating a hidden camera group chat that allegedly shared secretly filmed sex videos. The suspects include ex-FT Island member Choi Jung Hoon, Yong Junhyung, and BIG BANG’s Seungri.
According to police, the sex tapes were distributed through KakaoTalk chats and social networking sites. The chat participants were idols and porn stars. The accused reportedly made inappropriate comments about the videos. In addition, they used the chat to discuss sex and pornography. The suspects also reportedly discussed pornographic movies and television shows.
The scandal has prompted Tumblr to change its policy on pornography. The site has said that it will allow users to control what content is viewed on the site, and that it will block pornography posts that violate its terms of service. This is in contrast to the traditional approach, where a government agency determines what pornography is.
In the past, Tumblr has refused to honor censorship requests by the Korean Communications Standards Commission (KCSC). The company claimed that it was not bound to comply with local laws because it is based in the United States. However, it has now agreed to self-regulate obscene content on its Korean site.
As the world becomes more globalized, governments are imposing stricter pornography censorship standards. This is causing problems for aggregation websites, such as Reddit and Tumblr, which have been blocked by governments. While censoring pornography is necessary, it must be done responsibly. Otherwise, the Internet will be less safe for everyone.
Tumblr has recently updated its terms of service to reflect these changes. It also announced that it will work with local partners to ensure that obscene material is not posted on the platform. The company will also help users remove obscene content from their blogs. It will also offer training for its users on how to report content and take other appropriate steps.
In the meantime, YG Entertainment has released a statement that denies the allegations against Seungri. The company says that the singer did not participate in the molka chat. He was only involved in the restaurant business chat and did not share any illegal photos or videos. The investigation is still ongoing, and it’s not clear if Seungri will face any charges.
Tumblr’s response to the Sulli Goo scandal
The death of K-pop star Goo Hara this week has brought renewed attention to the pressures that stars, particularly females, face in the cutthroat industry. Her suicide at age 28 came less than two months after the death of her close friend Sulli, another famous K-pop star. Both women were subjected to intense, long-term cyberbullying that took a serious toll on their mental health. In addition, their friendship was used as a weapon against them by the public.
Tumblr has agreed to monitor pornography on its Korean version of its website and cooperate with the country’s censorship group, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC). The company previously refused to comply with requests to remove adult content from its site, arguing that it was not a pornography-related service. The announcement came after massive protests in Seoul inspired by the MeToo movement.
Heechul, a popular member of the girl band Blackpink, recently appeared on a variety talk show in which he discussed the role that malicious comments played in the deaths of Sulli and Goo. He said that men and women fought over the stars, shamed them for their appearances, and called them an embarrassment to women.
K-pop fans have a reputation for being especially vicious in their attacks on stars. In fact, many stars say that the pressure of sasaeng harassment has led to depression and even suicide. For example, one of BTS’s members has spoken about her battle with depression and the stress of battling antis during her live shows.
Another BTS member, Jiyeon, has also spoken about the strain of being a celebrity in South Korea. She says that she has gotten hateful messages from her peers and fans, and that it has made her want to quit the industry. 야동 has had to deal with sasaeng fans harassing her during her birthday party and livestreams.
Despite the hardships that K-pop stars endure, they still maintain huge followings. This is because of the sexiness and energy that these stars bring to their performances. This has resulted in a growing global interest in Korean pop culture, which is now a major force globally.