**Automated Moderation Error Leads to Hundreds of Tumblr Account Bans** On Wednesday, dozens of Tumblr accounts were banned in the same afternoon by an automated system, leaving users scrambling for answers. Multiple users contacted *The Verge* about the incident, claiming that the wave of bans disproportionately affected accounts run by users who identify as trans women, with many receiving no specific reason for their account termination. Screenshots of the email notifying users of the ban stated that the action was taken as the result of an internally-generated report, with automated means possibly used to identify the content at issue. Chenda Ngak, head of communications at Tumblr parent company Automattic, confirmed the bans in a statement to *The Verge*. However, Ngak noted that many of the bans were in error and had been reversed. "We continuously work to maintain platform health and adapt our systems to prevent bad actors from spreading harm," Ngak explained. "In that process, our automated system has incorrectly flagged several users, including, but not limited to, members of the trans community. We've disabled that system and restored those users while we improve it." Ngak also apologized to those affected by the error, stating, "We sincerely apologize to everyone who was affected by this error." The wave of bans came just a day after Tumblr reversed a controversial change to its reblogging system, which had sparked outrage from many users. Some users suggested that the bans may have been in response to posts voicing opposition to the change, but Ngak denied this, stating that the terminated accounts were not related to the recent discussion about reblogs. Ngak also maintained that there is no evidence that trans users were disproportionately among the sub-200 accounts impacted. However, multiple users expressed concerns about a history of moderation issues on Tumblr, particularly involving trans users. In 2024, Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg engaged in a public dispute with a Tumblr user who went by predstrogen and identified as trans. Predstrogen shared frustrated posts about a lack of action from Tumblr in response to alleged harassment, leading to her account being banned. The dispute continued on other social platforms, where Mullenweg shared private account details, including the names of predstrogen's side blogs on Tumblr. This incident is not the first time Tumblr has faced issues with automated content moderation. In 2022, the company settled with New York City's Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) over discrimination allegations stemming from an adult content ban in 2018. The ban had reportedly disproportionately affected LGBTQ+ content and was implemented prior to Automattic's 2019 acquisition of Tumblr.