YouTube bans Pornhub's official channel due to 'multiple' rule violations
What's the story
YouTube has taken down Pornhub's channel over community guideline infringements.
According to the global video-sharing service's external link policy, individuals/channels are not permitted to attach links to prohibited content like pornography, on the platform.
Pornhub's account has violated this policy, as per Google. However, the channel has adamantly denied these claims, saying it never posted or linked external links to adult content.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Pornhub continues to be under scrutiny. The website has failed to moderate content and restrict videos containing child abuse/non-consenting subjects, according to reports.
The removal of Pornhub's channel on YouTube comes after Instagram permanently barred the adult site's account, citing rule violations.
Mastercard and Visa did something similar in 2020, cutting-off transactions on the site due to the presence of "unlawful content" on it.
Information
What does YouTube's external policy define?
YouTube's external link policy says a user should not link material, which is prohibited on the platform. This includes content from adult websites and more. Pornhub has been accused to incite users on the video streaming platform to leave the site to view adult content.
Statement
Pornhub denies all the allegations
Pornhub has denied all the claims by YouTube.
"Pornhub maintains the absolute best trust and safety measures on the internet and takes special care to ensure it does not violate any of YouTube's Community Guidelines," a Pornhub spokesperson told The Verge.
"Unfortunately, this is just the latest example of discrimination against those in the adult industry."
Reach
The channel had over 900,000 subscribers before it was banned
Pornhub's YouTube channel had close to 900,000 subscribers before it was taken down.
The channel asserts that it never posted any restricted material, rather it only shared appropriate videos, which promoted the website and its performers.
The company also says it put an age restriction on its YouTube videos, which required viewers to be at least 18 years old.
Information
"We terminated the channel following multiple violations of Community Guidelines"
YouTube accuses Pornhub of "multiple" violations. "Upon review, we terminated Pornhub's channel following multiple violations of our Community Guidelines," said YouTube's spokesperson Jack Malon. "We enforce our policies equally for everyone, and channels repeatedly violating or are dedicated to violating content are terminated."