The problem with XVideos: Scathing new report shows online porn giant has serious issues with sex and violence
A new report has found that the online porn giant XVideos has not done enough to stop sexualized violence on the platform. The research carried out by Netzpolitik.org revealed that though one of the world's largest pornography providers has taken steps to combat questionable content, there were still videos on the site that are problematic.
The report stated that XVideos has prohibited videos that depict violence and harassment, even if it's performed by actors, but “the reality is different". XVideos has categories like "against her will" or "unconscious and f**ked". Such keywords, so-called tags, can be defined by users themselves when uploading. Besides, the research by netzpolitik.org also found that there were a number of videos on the site “that were apparently made without the consent of those shown. You can see people who are apparently not fully conscious but are apparently being abused for sexual acts. Others show people who don't seem to know they're being filmed, for example on the toilet.”
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The site has reportedly banned search terms like “rape,” for viewers as well as for those who upload content. However, it has been said that slight changes to the spelling can still provide the same desired results, for example, instead of “rape” if someone types “unwanted sex” or “druged and fucked”, XVideos provides over 400,000 result.
Speaking on the issue, Chris Köver, editor at Netzpolitik.org, told SPIEGEL, “XVideos could certainly do more to prevent the distribution of these recordings: more active and careful moderation, no automatic recommendations in the search function that are clearly about sexualized violence.” However, it has been reported that anyone who has issues with XVideos content can report to them through “an online form to do so. If desired, the form can be filled out anonymously. This gives those affected a relatively low-threshold opportunity to report recordings.”
Netzpolitik.org reportedly used the report function of XVideos and reported 30 videos, out of which 25 were apparently removed within a day. The study noted, “Instead of the videos, the following comment was found when the links were called up: ‘We have a request to delete this video. It was automatically deactivated. We are now waiting for the response from the uploader. It will then be deleted or restored.’”
The research also explained the aspects seen by XVideos before taking down any questionable video. The porn site reportedly told Netzpolitik.org’s researchers that “recordings are rated differently.” “As an example, XVideos cited a video we reported. In it, a man used the limp hand of an apparently motionless woman to masturbate. Whether the woman was asleep, unconscious, or just pretending was anyone's guess. It is ‘in no way believable’ that ‘a girl gives a handjob in her sleep'. In the event of a conflict, you would be on the side of the potential victims. Apparently, XVideos would have guessed that the woman was actually awake,” the report added.
Also, the report mentioned how XVideos’ owners reacted when asked why they did not delete the problematic videos themselves. They apparently said, “It's asking too much these days that laws apply to everyone, not just the top few porn sites. You should fear the day when strict upload and age rules will only apply to us. Because then users would migrate to the other pages and the situation would become ‘much worse’. These sites would happily accommodate any of our users who don't want to be bothered by ridiculous age controls and content restrictions.”