ORLANDO – It's an app typically used to share ideas about fashion, food and home decoration, but one mother claims the app "is a pornography website."
Stephanie, who asked that KSAT's sister station in Orlando, Florida, WKMG, not disclose her last name to protect her children, said her 13-year-old son found hardcore pornographic images while using the app to look up posts about video games.
Stephanie said that several pins linked back to pornographic websites.
"My son felt so bad, ashamed, guilty," she said.
As a parent, Stephanie said she takes various precautions to ensure her children use the internet responsibly. She said she forbids her children from using social media and even installed website filters on their electronic devices to block adult content.
According to the Apple App Store, the age requirement for the Pinterest app is 12 years or older. So, when it came to downloading the app, she said she had few reservations.
Stephanie said she never expected her son to stumble upon pornography while using the app.
"It snuck into my house despite all that I've done to try to keep it out," she said.
The company's website states that some nudity is OK, including exceptions for artistic photos, but "nude people in sexually suggestive poses" are not allowed.
"What I saw would go way beyond 'sexually suggestive poses,'" Stephanie said.
Pinterest released the following statement:
We are committed to creating a positive environment and encourage any user who finds content that violates our policies to report it to our team.
Stephanie said she reported the inappropriate content, but believes Pinterest should raise the age on the app.