Tumblr has revised its policies to ban blogs that promote and glorify self-harm.

"Our Content Policy has not, until now, prohibited blogs that actively promote self-harm," Tumblr wrote in a blog post. "These typically take the form of blogs that glorify or promote anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders; self-mutilation; or suicide. These are messages and points of view that we strongly oppose, and don't want to be hosting."

Tumblr explained that it wavered between two solutions to this objectionable content – one being adding a public service warning to the blogs in question and the other being an outright ban. It said it has decided that the ban is the right option, and it plans to post a new, revised Content Policy very soon.

The proposed policy against pro self-harm blogs reads:

"Don't post content that actively promotes or glorifies self-injury or self harm. That includes content that urges or encourages readers to cut or mutilate themselves; embrace anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders; or commit suicide rather than e.g., seek counseling or treatment for depression and other disorders. Online dialogue about these acts and conditions is incredibly important; this prohibition is intended to reach only those blogs that cross the line into active promotion or glorification. For example, joking that you need to starve yourself after Thanksgiving or that you wanted to kill yourself after a humiliating date is fine, but recommending techniques for self-starvation or self-mutiliation is not."

Tumblr said it hopes to begin implementing the policy next week. Applicable blogs will have a grace period to remove or download content.

The site also said it will start showing PSAs and PSA-style warnings with the search results for certain keywords like "bulimia" or anorexia."

Reddit last week also made a move to strike some offensive content from its site, removing child porn. For more, see Reddit Dragged Screaming Into Twenty-First Century.