The Snappening

The Snappening is one of the increasingly common waysTumblr post. Posted on August 12, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 11, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. to refer to the ongoing mass deletion of fan blogsTumblr post. Posted on August 11, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. on Tumblr (ostensibly for copyright infringement). Update blogs posting photographs of celebrities have been affected, and it seems that fans creating edits or photosets (i.e., moodboards) that include identifiable images from events, red carpets, sets, and other paparazzi photos might also be at risk, particularly if their graphics do not substantially transform or edit the original image.Tumblr post. Posted on August 7, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
While this purge appears to be affecting accounts from various fandoms (including One Direction blogsTumblr post. Posted on August 7, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.), the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom has been particularly active in discussing and distributing information about it, and several high-profile MCU blogs have been affected.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
General consensus amongst fans suggests that the purge began with blogs that had posted paparazzi photos from the agencies Backgrid and Splash News, which were apparently using a third-party reverse image search service called Okularity to identify infringing posts on Tumblr.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 7, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. Fans began noticing the absence of certain blogs on their dash.Tumblr post. Posted on August 9, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. Early posts on the purge date to August 6, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 6, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
Fans also reported that similar purges were ongoing on TwitterTumblr post. Posted on August 7, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. and Instagram.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
Some individuals received copyright infringement strikesTumblr post. Posted on August 11, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.; some blogs have been deleted.Tumblr post. Posted on August 7, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. There appears to be a three-strike policy in place,Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. but some Tumblr users have reported that blogs have been deleted without receiving three strikes.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
As many fans have noted, this is not the first similar purge on Tumblr.Tumblr post. Posted on August 11, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
==Origins of the Name==
"The Snappening" (or "The Snap") is a reference to the events of Avengers: Infinity War. MCU fans began riffing off the name as details of the purge emerged.
==Scope of the Purge==
Fans quickly began sharing information about the scope of the purge. As the situation unfolds, information is revised or repudiated; for example, it was initially thought that warnings for content posted to your sideblog would not escalate to a deletion of your main blog, but that appears to be either untrue or no longer the case.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. 
It appears generally true that only original posts are considered infringing - reblogs, even reblogs of your own original post that is subsequently deleted, seem to be safe.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. Gifs are not affected.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. Initially, it seemed that "paparazzi photos, events, red carpets and set photos...However now it is rumored to be extended to other stuff like celebrity photoshoots etc."Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
The purge is not limited to US American users, nor is it restricted to a particular fandom or celebrity.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Access on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
==Fans Take Protective Measures==
Many fans quickly took measures to protect their blogs, including the following:Note: Many of these protective measures make it difficult to document this event as it unfolds.
:*hiding their blog (so it's viewable only in the Tumblr dash);
:*opting to remove their blog from search engine results;
:*marking their blog as explicit (which limits access to logged-in users with safe mode off);
:*password-protecting their blog;
:*changing their username (and saving the original URL)Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.;
:*deleting original posts with potentially at-risk content;
:*deleting posts with general information about the purge
Informational posts detailing specific practices for protecting blogs from the purge were shared heavily on TumblrTumblr post. Posted on August 7, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Viewable by logged-in users with safe mode off only. Archived from a publicly viewable reblog on August 13, 2018.; several users with particularly popular posts subsequently deleted their original post or took additional measures to protect their blogs out of concern of reprisal.
===Exporting Data===
Several fans also pointed out that Tumblr users could export their data as a way of preserving their content in advance of a blog deletion.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018. At least one fan specifically linked this to the right of access protected by GDPR., tumblr post by beccasafan, 7 August 2018. Accessed on 13 August 2018.
==More Than Just A Copyright Issue==
While much of the conversation surrounding the purge has focused on the practicalities of sharing information about the purge (and particularly tips to protect blogs from strikes or deletion), some fans have begun to post meta and analysis about the place of the purge within a larger history of fan communities in conflict with digital platforms and websites.
===Tumblr Acts On Copyright Infringement, But They Do Nothing About...===
Many Tumblr users have criticized the site for devoting energy and resources to penalizing fans for sharing content while seemingly gaining little traction against the rampant spambots, porn blogs, and hate speech on Tumblr.Tumblr post. Posted on August 11, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.Tumblr post. Posted on August 10, 2018. Accessed on August 13, 2018. Archived on August 13, 2018.
===Relationship to Other Purges of Fan Accounts===
Some fans have referenced past events like Strikethrough in their conversations about the purge:
==References==
Category:Tumblr
Category:2018 Events
Category:Social Media Feature