Video portals like YouPorn and Co. correspond to the style of Web 2.0 and have contributed to fundamentally revolutionizing the porn industry. In the past, anyone who wanted to view pornographic images or videos had to either illegally download them on a sharing platform or register on a website that was subject to a fee. YouPorn and Co., on the other hand, are available to every Internet user with registration.
- YouPorn and are video portals that work similarly to YouTube, that is, users can upload, rate and comment on videos.
- The legislature basically allows the distribution of pornographic content, but prohibits certain types of pornography (child, youth, violence and animal pornography).
- Websites like YouPorn and Co. are not exactly known for their high security standards, which is why the risk of becoming infected with malware is high.
What is YouPorn?
YouPorn is a video portal that has been online since August 2006 and is based on the YouTube principle. Both amateurs and professional providers can upload pornographic videos on the platform. In the beginning this worked without registration, but now an account is required. A search field is available to find the content you want. The innovation of YouPorn and Co. is essentially that users can not only watch videos, but also rate and comment on them.
YouPorn also includes various chat rooms, cam shows, and an online dating service. The video portal basically offers its services free of charge, but users have the option of taking out a premium subscription. In the premium version there is no advertising, the quality of the videos is higher and the provider provides exclusive content.
Who started YouPorn?
Little is known about the founder or founders of YouPorn. The domain youporn.com was registered in December 2005 in California. Since US laws do not require an imprint or the constitution even forbids such a procedure, a website in the United States can be operated anonymously without any problems. Curaçao-based Midstream Media International NW was the owner of the portal for a long time. The media and IT company MindGeek (then still Manwin) has been running the video portal since 2011. In addition to other porn platforms such as Pornhub and XTube, the Group’s portfolio also includes paid offers such as Brazzers.
The legal situation of pornography in Germany
In principle, the German legislator allows the distribution of pornographic content. However, there are numerous restrictions that can be found in Section 184 of the Criminal Code (StGB). For example, the law prohibits the distribution of pornographic content to children. However, there are no effective control mechanisms such as age controls in sex shops on YouPorn and Co. The legislature does not allow hard pornography without exception. These include in particular:
- Child pornography
- Youth pornography
- Violent pornography
- Animal pornography
Porn stream on YouPorn and Co .: Is that legal?
Strictly speaking, this is a legal gray area. Since a computer only creates a fleeting copy of the video when streaming, many media lawyers believe that there is no violation of law. The situation is different when you download a video or upload one: both are illegal. Anyone who only consumes the pornographic content on YouPorn and Co. usually has nothing to fear. There have been several waves of warnings in the past, but so far not a single conviction.
What are the risks when using porn portals?
Video portals like YouPorn and Co. keep making headlines due to security gaps. It has often happened that hackers were able to steal email addresses and passwords or even credit card details. According to a 2018 Kaspersky study, around 40 percent of all users of porn portals had problems with malware. The risks include:
- Trojans: malware disguised as a harmless program
- Drive-by downloads: websites that contain malicious scripts
- Clickjacking: Websites overlaid with malware
- Tinder bots: Automated chat robots that want to access private data
- Ransomware: Blocked device access
Usually the porn sites collect data about their users – even if they surf incognito and also delete their cookies. This includes, for example, the IP address, the location and information on sexual orientation and sexual preferences. However, the data usually remains on the servers when a user has logged into the site with his profile. The providers use the collected data to display target group-specific advertising, for recommendations and to optimize their content.
Porn portals are among the most visited websites
Alexa Internet is a subsidiary of the online giant Amazon, which collects data on the number of page views from websites. Even today, porn portals make it into the top 50 most visited sites. However, it is no longer enough for a placement in the top ten. In the meantime, in addition to Google and YouTube, an increasing number of Chinese websites such as the search engine Baidu or the messenger service QQ are in the top positions.
Teens and porn: what do psychologists and educators say?
Most people first come into contact with porn at the age of 14. Whether the consumption of pornographic videos has an impact and what it might look like is still the subject of scientific research. Some researchers believe that pornographic content is, in a sense, the sex education of the 21st century. However, studies can also be found according to which porn has a negative impact on the ability to empathize and bond and lead to an increasing tolerance towards sexual violence.
