Pornhub's channel on YouTube has reportedly been disabled due to several violations of the community guidelines that govern the video-sharing platform.
YouTube's external link policy forbids users from "linking to content" that is not permitted on the site, such as pornography which may entice the users to visit a third-party site for explicit material. As reported by The Verge, this is what Pornhub's account allegedly did.
YouTube vs. Pornhub
YouTube's representative Jack Malon told The Verge that upon inspection, the firm decided to cancel the channel Pornhub Official after several breaches of its Community Guidelines.
"We enforce our policies equally for everyone, and channels that repeatedly violate or are dedicated to violative content are terminated."
Until it was removed, Pornhub's YouTube channel had almost 900,000 followers. It promoted the website and its performers with "safe-for-work content" or a video appropriate for work settings.
Moreover, the company "vehemently denies" allegations that it posted or linked to adult material. It says it has implemented an age restriction on the YouTube videos it has uploaded, making them accessible only to those 18 and older.
A Pornhub representative, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of doxing, said in an interview with The Verge that the company is maintaining great trust and safety procedures on the internet. The person also said it takes particular care to guarantee it does not break any of YouTube's Community Guidelines.
"Unfortunately, this is just the latest example of discrimination against those in the adult industry, a trend seen across social media and all other facets of life, especially as groups disingenuously conflate consensual adult content with exploitation," the Pornhub spokesperson claimed.
Related Story : YouTube New System Auto-Blocks Abusive Comment Posters
Case History
Months after Instagram permanently banned Pornhub's account for posting nudity, pornographic material, and sexual solicitation, the news that Pornhub was removed from YouTube has surfaced.
Instagram, like YouTube, argues that Pornhub enticed its users to visit a third-party site for explicit material.
Meta claims that Pornhub has been breaking its rules involving nudity, adult material, sexual solicitation, and cumulative offenses for over a decade. Instagram, however, did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged violation.
The said account reportedly had 13.1 million followers with over 6,000 posts.
In light of the suspension, Pornhub released an open letter to Meta execs, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram Head Adam Mosseri. It calls Instagram "opaque, discriminating, and hypocritical."
It also criticized Instagram for deleting its "fully PG" account while other creators continued to publish material with nudity and overt sexuality with no penalties.
The letter pointed out that aside from banning its Instagram account, sex workers and entertainers were also "treated unfairly" by banning, shadow banning, suspending, removing Live access, and removing material, even if they followed the Community Guidelines.
Pressure on the Firm
According to reports, some have accused Pornhub, owned by MindGeek of Luxembourg, of failing to monitor content and enabling films with child abuse material and non-consenting subjects to appear. This somehow increases the pressure on both companies.
Pornhub's connection with other businesses was negatively impacted, ultimately resulting in the departure of CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo.
Visa and Mastercard stopped processing payments to Pornhub in 2020 because of the site's "unlawful" material. However, they are still being sued for allegedly trying to assist MindGeek in monetizing child porn.
