The Secret Porn of YouTube

Using your Google account to log into YouTube likely keeps you inside the algorithm's bubble. Yet with the right search terms, you can stumble upon channels and videos that supposedly shouldn't exist on the platform. The debate over the so-called “secret YouTube porn” has raged for a long time, from highly suggestive thumbnails to the occasional softcore clip that slips past the automated filters…

YouTube's Multiple Standards

One of the most frequent complaints about YouTube targets its content filter. Let's be honest: there are things you can't say, things you can't do, and things you can't talk about on the platform. Legitimate videos about depression and mental health are demonetized, YouTubers who share their knowledge of firearms have also seen their earnings blocked, and on the other side, certain controversial personalities who generate millions of views per video somehow manage to escape the strictest filters.

As if that weren't enough, there are users out there actively trying to bypass those filters, and considering that YouTube receives the equivalent of 500 hours of video per minute, the platform has its hands full. Now, if there's one type of content that sells more and more on the web, it's sex (OnlyFans and 'TikTok porn' are solid proof of that), and that leads us to the existence of certain “secret YouTube porn”.

Exploring YouTube's Secret Porn

It all starts with a small channel focused on general-interest topics like design tips, high-end cars, and technology, but the thumbnails of its videos clearly reveal frames from adult films or catalogs. Sometimes those videos are a paradox, since their content isn't explicit, and the "porn" is in the links (not to say pure spam) that appear in the comments.

However, thumbnail manipulation is nothing new. One of the most recent cases was reported in March 2020, using the keyword "full movies" on YouTube. The main examples have been removed, but some stragglers remain.

DiamondGate and ElsaGate

Meanwhile, the algorithm shows remarkable precision in removing or demonetizing videos dedicated to sex education, especially if they were created by minorities. To that contradiction are added disturbing phenomena like DiamondGate and ElsaGate, which still register some activity.

The first is based on videos (usually hidden behind advertising for diamonds) that on more than one occasion show minors in underwear building Lego sets, or playing Minecraft for a few minutes until the "gameplay" is replaced with a softcore film. The second targets the little ones, with characters like Spider-Man or Elsa in absolutely inappropriate situations for children.

The underlying question is none other than "Why?" What is the master plan behind all this content? Over the years, many hypotheses have emerged, but the simplest and strongest so far is the manipulation of YouTube's ad system.

The case of the channel Khang Pham Chanel is compelling: it doesn't reach 5,000 subscribers and has ten videos (with porn in their thumbnails), but it boasts almost 4 million views, which translates to about $8,000 in earnings. In the specific case of ElsaGate, users imagine something more disturbing, like a pedophilia network conducting grooming.

In Summary

To conclude, we must not forget a small detail: YouTube also profits from advertising, which can lead to additional suspicions. Reporting these videos is not complicated, but the real problem is that no one can prevent their upload in the first place.

As we mentioned above, YouTube has its hands full with 500 hours of video per minute. The only line of defense is the algorithm (which works quite poorly) and a handful of volunteers in different communities.

Source: MEL Magazine