Imgur

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Imgur is both a media company and image sharing platform turned social media platform founded by Alan Schaaf in 2009. The platform was initially intended to act as a format for users on Reddit to share images. It has been owned by MediaLab AI, Inc. since its acquisition 2021.

Imgur

File:Imgur Logo.png

Basic information
Founded	2009
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	media hosting
Official website	imgur.com

Consumer impact summary

- User Freedom: Users can upload content to the platform, however it cannot be used as a content delivery network (CDN) as per their TOS, despite its initial purpose being as such.

- User Privacy: Advertisements do come with trackers

- Business Model: Gain revenue via advertisements seen by consumers

- Market Control: Limited competition

Incidents

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Imgur category.

Binding arbitration (Nov 28, 2022)

Shortly after MediaLab acquired Imgur, they updated their TOS to include a binding arbitration notice:

These Terms contain a binding arbitration provision and class action waiver terms. Unless you opt out or there is a suit in small claims court, you and we agree to submit disputes to a neutral arbitrator and not to sue in court in front of a judge or jury.

Advertising overload

Further Reading: Advertising overload

An example of how frequent advertisements are for users on Imgur. Via: https://imgur.com/gallery/too-many-ads-9vzuP7x

While initially introduced as a method for keeping the platform up amid large advertising costs in 2009, for nearly a decade, users have been complaining about a large amount of advertisements on both the website and especially the mobile app.

Their negligence to also moderate advertisements has also led to ads of dubious quality to also be seen on both the website and mobile app.

See also

- MediaLab AI, Inc.

- Reddit

- Social media platform