YouTube has removed the official PornHub channel due to “multiple violations” of its community guidelines, Variety reported. Pornhub’s YouTube channel was first launched in 2014 and had 900,000 subscribers, but it no longer appears in YouTube search and its URL now displays a 404 error.
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YouTube said Pornhub violated its policy against linking to sites that host content that is not allowed on YouTube. “After review, we have terminated the Pornhub Official channel after multiple violations of our community guidelines,” a spokesperson said. “Our policies are strictly enforced , and channels that have a consistent history of violating our rules or are dedicated solely to inappropriate content will be permanently disabled .”
Pornhub’s parent company, MindGeek, “categorically denied” YouTube’s claims that it was affiliated with pornographic websites. “Pornhub takes strict measures and works hard to ensure that it does not violate any of YouTube’s Community Guidelines,” a company spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, this is just another case of unfair criticism of those working in the adult industry.”
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On Friday, the anti-pornography group National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) wrote on its blog that it had flagged content it believed violated YouTube’s policies. “After review, YouTube notified NCOSE that it had terminated the channel for violations of its Community Guidelines.” MindGeek, on the other hand, expressed its displeasure with YouTube’s “arbitrary and arbitrary enforcement” of its policies, saying it was dangerous and harmful to marginalized groups like sex workers.
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Pressure surrounding Pornhub and its parent company MindGeek continues to mount, with some accusing the site of failing to moderate content and allowing videos containing child abuse material and non-consenting individuals to appear . These concerns led to the resignation of Pornhub CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo, and have also affected Pornhub's relationship with other companies.
Mastercard and Visa suspended payments to Pornhub in 2020, with Mastercard saying at the time that it found illegal content on the site. In a legal ruling, a federal judge refused to exonerate Visa from liability in connection with MindGeek’s apparent exploitation of child pornography for profit. In September, Instagram permanently blocked Pornhub, citing violations of its community guidelines.
Information source: engadget.com
