tumblr takes a stance

On February 23, 2012, the popular social site Tumblr announced in their A New Policy Against Self-Harm Blogs post that they would but an end to self-harm blogs - blogs that glorified cutting, eating disorders, and self-mutilation.

In general, I favor the stance Tumblr has taken. The site values free speech by allowing anyone to create a profile and write about whatever that person would like; however, some view this new ban on certain blogs as censorship. Why is it okay to hinder these voices?

I stumbled upon an article from Tech Crunch - Tumblr On Its Self-Harm Blog Ban: Support is OK, Glorification is Not - which really draws some interesting points and things to consider when discussing the recent Tumblr ban. The author, Sarah Perez, asks the following:

But if it's going to take a stance against self-harm, then what about taking a stance against harm in general? Rape? Violence against women? Hate crimes? Drugs? Alcohol? Pornography?

I applaud Tumblr for addressing an issue for a while, and hope they stand strong with their stance. They will be working in conjunction with various health organizations to plant PSAs when certain words are searched, as stated in their most recent follow-up post. There are many controversial blog topics, and it would be nearly impossible to address all - but the current issues addressed may hopefully save some lives.