Is Pornhub Getting Ready to Save Tumblr?

When blogging platform Tumblr announced that it was banning all adult content from its site late last year, the decision didn't go over so well, especially with queer people and other marginalized groups who used Tumblr to learn more about their sexualities and to find community. But after several dry months, it looks like adult-themed content might be making a comeback. 

According to a report from BuzzFeed News, popular adult video purveyor Pornhub is "extremely interested" in buying up the blogging platform from its current parent company Verizon. Since the December 2018 porn ban, Tumblr has experienced an unsurprising 150 million dip in monthly pageview traffic, so the possibility of Pornhub coming in and reinstating adult content on Tumblr definitely is an exciting thought for many users who used to love the site.

But while the idea of one of the biggest porn sites in the country buying a platform that was once known for being the go-to when it comes to sexy content sounds good on the surface, others were quick to point out that Pornhub acquiring Tumblr might not actually be that great of an idea.

According to TechCrunch, MindGeek (the company that owns Pornhub) has a sordid history of exploiting adult performers and not controlling the piracy of adult content uploaded to its many adult websites. TechCrunch reports that this leads to "a massive decline in the wages of porn performers and the number of films being made" and "pushes performers into more rough and extreme porn genres they’re not comfortable with, or into other sex work like prostitution that can be dangerous."

Yikes...

So what does the future hold for the site that launched so many angsty blogs and hilarious memes? Is the possibility of getting adult content back on Tumblr worth it, especially considering Pornhub/MindGeek's history? Looks like we'll just have to wait patiently to find out...