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Google Bans All Sexually Explicit Images & Video on Blogger

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bloggerheaderGoogle is finally making a move with all the porn on Blogger by banning all sexually explicit images and video on the blogging service.

If you have a blog that currently has sexually explicit images or videos, Google will not just automatically delete the site. However they will make it private, meaning only users that are the admin or those the site owner has specifically shared a blog with will be able to see it. That way users will have the option to remove the explicit content if they wish and have it reappear publicly.

The change will come into effect starting March 23, 2015.  This follows a change in 2013 where Google prevented anyone from monetizing sexually explicit content, as a way to crack down on sites with adult related advertisements.  But clearly that wasn’t enough of a change to limit the amount of porn on Blogger.

Anyone trying to create a new blog after March 23, 2015 with sexually explicit content will have the blog removed.

Previously any adult blogs had an adult content warning interstitial, so there wasn’t the possibility that a person could end up on a Blogger-hosted porn site without warning.

Google will still make exceptions for nudity “if the content offers a substantial public benefit, for example in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts.” This is a gray area where many people run into problems – or even try to push the limits. For example breast-feeding photos are often hits with a platform’s anti-nudity policies, although many do end up getting reinstated when they are evaluated. It is unclear is the breast-feeding photos would fall under this, however blogger posts many “Mommy blogs” that often post this kind of content.

It appears that sexually explicit written content is still acceptable under the change, but will still be behind the adult content interstitial.  However, the term “Do not distribute sexually explicit content” is in their current content policy and could definitely be interpreted to include written content.

Bottom line, if you want to host sexually explicit images and video – and potentially written content – you should start looking for a new host prior to March 23, 2015.

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Jennifer Slegg

Founder & Editor at The SEM Post
Jennifer Slegg is a longtime speaker and expert in search engine marketing, working in the industry for almost 20 years. When she isn't sitting at her desk writing and working, she can be found grabbing a latte at her local Starbucks or planning her next trip to Disneyland. She regularly speaks at Pubcon, SMX, State of Search, Brighton SEO and more, and has been presenting at conferences for over a decade.

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