Microblogging app Tumblr has been struggling to maintain an edge over other social media sites since instituting a ban on porn. Now, it is up for grabs.
Verizon, which acquired the platform along with other Yahoo assets in 2017, is seeking a new buyer and told the Verge that the sale process is "ongoing."
One company expressed interest and hopes to restore the app's former NSFW reputation.
Corey Price, the VP for Pornhub, told Buzzfeed in an email that the restoration of Tumblr's formerly racy content will be a determining factor for buying the platform.
Price wrote:
"Tumblr was a safe haven for those who wanted to explore and express their sexuality, adult entertainment aficionados included."
"We've long been dismayed that such measures were taken to eradicate erotic communities on the platform, leaving many individuals without an asylum through which they could comfortably peruse adult content."
Buzzfeed detailed Tumblr's ownrship history, starting with Yahoo purchasing the platform for $1.1 billion in 2013. After Tumblr's value was written down by $230 million in 2016, Verizon Media Group, formerly Oath, took over the app with their acquisition of Yahoo in 2017.
In December 2018, Tumblr announced it would be banning all its adult content, which was something users feared.
The company used AI to detect and block pornographic material while existing posts became visible only to the original poster.
Many users not only used the app for its curated porn, but it was also considered as a "safe space" for young people exploring and expressing their sexuality.
Soon, jokes about Pornhub saving the day circulated the internet.
But now with Pornhub expressing their interest, Tumblr users are hoping to avoid getting blue balls.
Pornhub is hoping Tumblr will provide much-needed relief for horny users once again.
Former Tumblr users are hoping to return under new management.
Price added:
"There are obvious synergies between the two brands and value Pornhub could derive from Tumblr. We're extremely interested in acquiring the platform and are very much looking forward to one day restoring it to its former glory with NSFW content."
While the proposal has everyone at attention, a legitimate offer to Verizon has yet to be made by Pornhub.
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