Yahoo Acquires Tumblr, XXX Accounts to Stay

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Yahoo announced its $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, the social networking blogging behemoth noted for its creative base and risque content.

Amid fears of a corporate sweep-up, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer publicly assured site users that Yahoo plans to “let Tumblr be Tumblr”; and yes, that means the XXX accounts get to stay.

Mayer implied that the “brand safe” ethos of Yahoo would not extend to the less inhibited blogger platform that hosts explicit Tumblrs like "Red Hot Porn," "Porn and Weed" and "Secretary Sex" and features a pornographic site as one of its top 20 blogs.

"I think the richness and breadth of content available on Tumblr — even though it may not be as brand safe as what's on our site — is what's really exciting and allows us to reach even more users," Mayer said.

"One of the ways to start measuring our growth story here is around traffic and users and this obviously produces a lot of that,” she continued. “In terms of how to address advertisers' concerns around brand safety, we need to have good tools for targeting."

Tumblr founder David Karp said last June that 2-4 percent of Tumblr traffic is porn-related.

Tumblr’s community guidelines are simple and nonrestrictive, stating, “If you regularly post sexual or adult-oriented content, respect the choices of people in our community who would rather not see such content by flagging your blog as "not suitable for work" (NSFW). This action does not prevent you and your readers from using any of Tumblr's social features, but rather allows Tumblr users who don't want to see NSFW content to avoid seeing it.”

Despite Mayer’s reassurances to preserve Tumblr’s current community, many Tumblr users remain wary. Inflammatory memes featuring Mayer and Karp have been circulating over the weekend.

“Yahoo can’t be that stupid,” theelitehuntingclub posted. “Take away your porn and you just destroyed a good investment.”

However, Tumblr’s limited profits may have been the driving force to make a deal with Yahoo, Bloomberg reported. In 2012, Tumblr made only $13 million in revenue.  

“We’re not turning purple,” Karp wrote in his blog, defending the acquisition.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Kaela Luna Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Kaela Luna has made her TransAngles debut alongside Parker Savage and Harrison Feels in “Jackhammering Kaela.”

Adult Time Marks April Fool's Day With 5 Satirical Releases

Adult Time is marking April Fool’s Day with the release of satirical scenes from five of its series.

Pineapple Support to Host Autism Spectrum Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers and creators who are, or suspect they may be, on the autism spectrum.

Adult Time Wraps Production on Bree Mills' Feature 'Escape From Camp Conversion'

Adult Time has wrapped production on its latest feature, the Bree Mills-helmed "Escape From Camp Conversion," from its Girlcore studio brand.

Daisy Fox Makes Her TeamSkeet Debut

Daisy Fox makes her TeamSkeet debut in the latest episode of the studio series "She's New," titled "A Foxy Little Newcomer," with Nicky Rebel.

Elizabeth Skylar Performs Her 1st B/B/G in Latest From New Sensations

Elizabeth Skylar has performed her first B/B/G in the latest scene from New Sensations, with Codey Steele and Milan Ponjevic.

ImLive Launches Revamped Member Loyalty Program

Cam platform ImLive has revamped its member loyalty program.

Lynna Nilsson Fronts Latest From Immoral Productions

Lynna Nilsson performs her first DVP in a new trilogy from Immoral Productions, alongside Matt Bird and Brad Knight.

Anna Claire Clouds: From Nashville to XMA Gold

The photo shoot is going great. Anna Claire Clouds knows all her angles. The moment the cap comes off the camera lens, Clouds tilts her head just so and deploys her signature dreamy eyes with all controls set to “smoldering.” Girl knows what she’s doing.

Show More