Tumblr users are leaving in droves as it bans NSFW images. Here's where they're going instead

Tumblr/Paige Leskin

• Tumblr announced this week it will ban content featuring nudity from its platform, starting December 17.
• The decision was met with lots of backlash from users who view the site as a safe space to explore their identity and sexuality through not safe for work (NSFW) content.
• Many Tumblr users have said they plan to abandon the platform for alternative blogging websites that allow explicit content, some which can be found below.

Tumblr says it's banning "adult content" from its platform in order to make "a better, more positive" place, but the policy change has some users abandoning the site.

The new policy goes into effect December 17, and will result in the deletion of any content portraying "real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples," Tumblr, a Verizon-owned company, said in its announcement.

Reaction to Tumblr's announcement has been swift and critical across social media. More than 423,000 people have already signed a Change.org petition to "make Tumblr rescind their adult content ban."

For many, Tumblr was seen as a safe space used for exploration and self-expression. 

"I frequently got messages from folks who saw my work and said it helped them understand part of themselves better," an anonymous Tumblr user told The Washington Post. "That's primarily what I saw on Tumblr, in my curated bubble: women and LGBT creators exploring sexual concepts that they didn't feel comfortable sharing anywhere else."

Dozens of new Twitter accounts are starting to pop up from former Tumblr users who say they're switching social media sites as a result of the new policy. But while Twitter is mainly a platform for short text blurbs and sharing links, Tumblr emphasizes blogging with a mix of images, videos, GIFs, and creative writing.

Other blogging platforms have already reported seeing an influx of new users since Tumblr announced its policy change.

Here are some alternatives to Tumblr emerging in light of the ban on adult content: