Google backtracks on Blogger adult content ban

Earlier this week, both Reddit and Google revealed plans to crack down on adult content, and while Reddit has held firm to its decision, Google has listened to the outcry of its users and, likely upon fully realizing how many users were poised to leave, reversed its decision. Today on the company's Product Forums, Google worker Jessica Pelegio announced the reversal, saying that rather than instituting this new adult content limitation, the company will merely be ensuring that its users stick to the current rules.

Following's Google initial announcement earlier this week, users took to the company's forums and elsewhere to express concern (read: complain) about the upcoming change, citing all sorts of reasons for why they were against it. Many threatened to take their content elsewhere, which is likely what spooked Google into reversing its decision.

We've had a ton of feedback, in particular about the introduction of a retroactive change (some people have had accounts for 10+ years), but also about the negative impact on individuals who post [adult content] to express their identities. So rather than implement this change, we've decided to step up enforcement around our existing policy...

That current policy prohibits the hawking of commercial adult content. Those with a blog showing adult content are told to mark their blogs as such, and by doing so visitors will be presented with a content warning page before entering. This means that, at the end of the day, everything on Blogger remains the same for those who have already been following the rules.

SOURCE: Google Product Forums