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Tumblr and WordPress posts will reportedly be used for OpenAI and Midjourney training
Tumblr and WordPress are reportedly set to strike deals to sell user data to artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and Midjourney. The platforms’ parent company, Automattic, is nearing completion of an agreement to provide data to help train the AI companies’ models.
Tumblr’s staff is reportedly reduced to a skeleton crew
Tumblr, a flailing social media site from a bygone era, may be run by a skeleton crew from now on. An alleged internal memo from parent company Automattic has made the rounds on social platforms, stating it has “not gotten the expected results from our effort.”
Tumblr's building a TikTok inspired feed in bid to grow its user base
Tumblr is planning a major revamp of its platform that will bring algorithmic recommendations to users’ feeds, according to a memo published on the Tumblr Staff blog.
Tumblr allows nudes again, but porn remains off-limits
Tumblr has updated its community guidelines so that the naked human form is once again allowed.
A fifth of US teens use YouTube 'almost constantly,' with TikTok not far behind
A Pew survey suggested Instagram and Snapchat adoption rose, but Facebook and Twitter are less popular among teens than in 2015.
Tumblr will review its moderation algorithms after a porn ban-related settlement
NYC's human rights commission said the ban disproportionately affected LGBTQ+ users.
Tumblr is available ad-free for $5 per month
Tumblr now offers ad-free browsing for $5 per month for fans who want their microblogs without clutter.
Tumblr adds a sensitive content filter to its iOS app
It's trying to give users what they want while adhering to App Store rules.
Tumblr blocks tags for 'sensitive content' in order to stay on the App Store
Tumblr has restricted what its users can see on its iOS app in an effort to make sure it doesn't get kicked out of Apple's App Store again.
Tumblr’s Post+ subscriptions are available to anyone in the US
Tumblr is opening its paid subscription features to more users: Post+ is open to anyone in the US.
Tumblr bloggers can soon charge for access to their posts
The platform is testing paid subscriptions with the Post+ feature.
Tumblr's digital literacy campaign targets fake news and bullying
Tumblr is launching a year-long digital literacy campaign to fight fake news, cyberbullying and other toxic internet behavior. Tumblr hopes the campaign, dubbed World Wide What, will spread internet safety awareness and start healthy conversations with the Tumblr community. (Full disclosure: Tumblr has ties to Verizon, Engadget's parent company.)
Verizon will sell Tumblr to the owner of WordPress
The rumors of Verizon selling Tumblr turned out to have merit. Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is selling the social network to Automattic, the company behind the blogging tool WordPress. It's not disclosing the size of the deal, but Automattic is taking on 200 employees as part of the exchange. Automattic chief Matt Mullenweg told the Wall Street Journal that this is his company's largest acquisition both in terms of cost and sheer staff count.
Social media is revolutionizing how scientists interact with the public
The field of science communication -- the practice of informing and educating people about science-related topics -- arose just after the start of the Enlightenment when Francesco Algarotti published his first edition of Newtonianism for the Ladies in 1737. While that bit of 18th century mansplaining doesn't really hold up by today's standards, in the nearly three centuries since, the pace of scientific progress has only accelerated -- with science communication evolving alongside it. The advent of social media, in particular, is an unprecedented, powerful tool for science communicators.
Verizon is trying to sell off Tumblr
Just two years after taking control of Tumblr as part of its acquisition of Yahoo, Verizon is looking to offload the blogging platform. According to the Wall Street Journal, the telecommunications giant has spent that last few weeks approaching other companies to gauge their interest in purchasing Tumblr. While the search is ongoing, the report notes that it may not result in any transaction.
Russia worked hard to recruit social media users to campaign for Trump
We already knew that the Internet Research Agency (IRA), which is essentially a farm of bots and trolls, exposed 126 million Americans on Facebook to Russian-backed propaganda during the 2016 US presidential election. But today's release of the redacted Mueller report has shed light on new details, including the great lengths the IRA went to in using social media to provoke social discord in the US. The report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, titled "The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election," highlights how the IRA created thousands of accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Tumblr to create posts in "support for the Trump Campaign and opposition to candidate [Hillary] Clinton."
How sex censorship killed the internet we love
When was the last time you thought of the internet as a weird and wonderful place? I can feel my anxiety climbing as I try to find current news stories about sex. Google News shows one lonely result for "porn," an article that is 26 days old. I log out of everything and try different browsers because this can't be right.
How to watch the Super Bowl: A cord-cutter’s guide
We all know you don't have to be a fan of American football to watch the Super Bowl. The NFL's Big Game, which this year will be played between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, goes beyond the sport. Even if you don't like who's playing (we're looking at you, Tom Brady), the Super Bowl is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and enjoy a day full of seven-layer dip, chicken wings and, of course, booze. Thankfully, in 2019, the NFL is making it easy for everyone in the US to watch Super Bowl LIII, even if you don't have a cable or satellite account.
Senate report details Russia's online meddling in 2016 election
The US Senate is about to receive a report detailing Russia's online manipulation attempts during and after the 2016 Presidential election, and it promises to shed new light on the subject... including a lack of evidence from the internet giants themselves. The research, conducted by both Oxford University and network analysis company Graphika, outlines some familiar strategies. The Russians "clearly sought to benefit" the Republicans, rallying support for Trump on social networks while trying to "confuse, distract and ultimately discourage" Trump's opponents. It also notes that Russia's digital influence plans started with Twitter, but quickly expanded to Instagram and YouTube -- Facebook actually came last. They also tried smaller social networks like Google+, Pinterest and Tumblr (owned by Engadget parent company Verizon) as well as email.
Tumblr is back on the App Store ahead of 'adult content' ban
Tumblr is back in the App Store. Apple pulled the app from iTunes in November, and it was reportedly due to the presence child exploitation photos on the platform. Tumblr said it found those photos during a routine check and that they slipped through its filters, because they haven't been added to the database of known child sexual abuse material yet. Since then, the website has been flagging adult content on the platform more aggressively, until it finally announced that it will no longer allow any adult content starting on December 17th.

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