Imgur Orders Purge of All 'Explicit' Images by May 15

Imgur Orders Purge of All 'Explicit' Images by May 15

SAN FRANCISCO — Image hosting site Imgur has updated its terms of service and warned users to remove any “explicit images” by May 15.

Both “automated detection software” and human moderation will be used to detect the newly forbidden sexual material.

Imgur offered their reasons for the content purge yesterday through a post, explaining that Imgur plans to delete old and inactive content as well as “nudity, pornography and sexually explicit content,” and emphasizing that the purge will focus “most notably” on what the site considers “explicit/pornographic content.”

The post offers the rationale, “Explicit and illegal content have historically posed a risk to Imgur’s community and its business” and claims that the total purge of adult content is necessary to “protect the future of the Imgur community.”

Imgur was launched in 2010 and quickly gained a reputation among Reddit users as a reliable site for hosting images, to which that platform’s users could then share links. Imgur “continues to be the main place for NSFW Reddit image uploads due to Reddit not allowing explicit content to be uploaded directly to Reddit,” an Ars Technica report explained, quoting a third-party developer.

Two years ago, Imgur was acquired by a holding company, MediaLab AI.

Imgur also offered the following details about the new policies:

  • “Explicit/Pornographic content was previously permitted to be on Imgur, but not when submitted as a comment or as a gallery submission. This caused frustration with users who received content violations for the content they have seen posted elsewhere off-site. Aligning our Terms of Service more closely with our Community Rules should help clearly define what is and isn’t permitted on Imgur.

  • Artistic nudity will continue to be permitted, as it was permitted under the Rules previously - however, since we’re calibrating automated detection in these early stages, some content that may have been permitted under ‘artistic exceptions’ previously may not apply here. We will not be issuing any warnings, account suspensions, or bans in relation to these automated flags - but this may impact what is allowed to be submitted or uploaded. Should there be any issues preventing you from uploading content that is falsely flagged as explicit content, we want to hear from you.

To read the updated Imgur Terms of Service, click here.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More