Verizon sells Tumblr to WordPress parent months after porn ban outrage

Verizon has officially offloaded the once-popular blogging site Tumblr, months after announcing its decision to sell the platform.

The company today revealed it is selling Tumblr to Automattic Inc, the owner of popular online-publishing tool WordPress.com, for an undisclosed amount.

Tumblr’s popularity has been dwindling over the years, and a decision by the firm last year to ban all adult content as it scrambled to crack down on child pornography came as a particularly hard blow.

The site, قالب وردپرس up until then, remained a go-to for not-suitable-for-work (NSFW) content, and the move reportedly led to an estimated 20 percent drop in users within a matter of months.

The porn-ban went into effect on December 17th, when the site began using algorithms to flag and delete any such content.

This included ‘photos, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples, and any content—including photos, videos, GIFs and illustrations—that depicts sex acts.’

While there were some exceptions, including photos related to breastfeeding, birth, or health and surgery, many users saw the move as an attack on what had long been the foundation of the site’s continuing user base.

In the aftermath of the announcement late last year, even adult entertainment site Pornhub expressed interest in scooping up the site in hopes to keep things afloat.

It’s unclear what changes will come under Automattic’s leadership, and the two companies behind the deal have yet to disclose any details.

‘Tumblr is one of the Web’s most iconic brands,’ said Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg in a statement released Monday.

‘It is an essential venue to share new ideas, cultures and experiences, helping millions create and build communities around their shared interests.’

‘Today’s announcement is the culmination of a thoughtful, thorough and strategic process,’ added Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan.

Tumblr was acquired by Yahoo for more than $1 billion in 2013, and Verizon later acquired it as part of its deal for Yahoo in 2015.

Verizon Media Group, formerly called Oath, is the digital media umbrella that owns more than 50 brands, including HuffPost, TechCrunch and Tumblr.