The age rating for new mobile video-sharing app Vine has been raised to 17+, meaning appropriate for users 17 and older, after it was flooded with pornographic images.
Since its launch two
weeks ago, the Twitter-owned Vine had been rated 12+ in Apple's App
Store, the only place it is currently available. But sexually explicit
video clips almost immediately began appearing within the app, including
one mistakenly showcased in its "Editor's Picks" section, drawing
outrage from some users.
The new rating, for such
criteria as "frequent/intense sexual content or nudity," means users
wishing to download Vine must click on a window promising that they are
over 17. There is no age-verification system, however, and nothing to
stop younger users from downloading the app.
The changes are part of
an update to Vine, announced Wednesday, that also allow users to block
or report a profile they find offensive.
Does Twitter's Vine have a porn problem?
Twitter had already taken
steps last week to restrict how users can share sexually explicit
clips. Hashtags for such search terms as "porn," "nude," "sex" and
"naked" no longer delivered any results.
The issue made headlines
January 28 when Vine users noticed a video of what was described as
hardcore pornography showcased in the prominent Editor's Picks section
of the mobile app. Twitter pulled the clip and apologized, saying it was
a mistake.
Tumblr, the popular
blogging platform that includes some porn among its roughly 92 million
blogs, soon afterwards reclassified itself with the 17+ tag.
Apps are typically
submitted to Apple with a suggested age rating, although Apple can
request that the rating be changed. In the App Store, 17+ is the most
restrictive rating.
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