it seems that flickr has started some serious censorship with the new language update that was rolled out today. the problem is that flickr usually allows you to set your own filters for photos that might not fit in with your personal tastes (i.e. photos that are sexy or graphic). well usually even if you have the “safe filter” turned on you can choose to click through to a photo. the choice to click through was taken away today from flickr members whose yahoo id’s are from germany, singapore, hong kong, and korea. members in those countries can only view photos that are deemed safe and can never opt out of the filter or click through to see a photo that has been flagged as not safe. the official word from yahoo about this non-ability to pass through the safe filter even if you are a pay member (aka pro member) of flickr is located here. heise wrote (albeit in german, english auto translation here) about the backlash that is in full force on flickr as i type this. this happens one day after flickr’s “24 hours of flickr in berlin”, (flickr tag here) part of a series of parties around the world and one day after yahoo’s shareholders (yahoo is flickr’s parent company) decide that it is ok for yahoo to censor sites in china.