Sunday Times 2
Twitter apologises after porn is ‘editor’s pick’ on new video site
View(s):By Daniel Martin
A new video-sharing service on Twitter has been inundated with pornographic footage. One hardcore clip appeared as the editor’s pick at the top of the home page of Vine.
Twitter's new video-sharing service Vine has been inundated with porn videos, including one hardcore clip which appeared as the editor's pick
Word spread and the footage soon received a ‘popular now’ ranking. The risque video was posted by a user called NSFWVine – a seeming reference to the ‘not safe for work’ warning some users deploy when posting rude content.
It is just one of the hundreds of short porn videos which have appeared on the site since it launched last Thursday.
The social networking service apologised for what it said had been a mistake with the editor’s pick but refused to automatically take down explicit clips – saying that would be censorship.
One Twitter user, Taylor Winkelmeyer, said: ‘I clicked on the link because I thought the warning was a joke. I am furious I had to see something like this. Someone please tell me how to get it off my feed.’ Twitter blamed human error and said the video has been removed.
But the site still does not automatically take down explicit material – saying sexual content is not specifically banned.
Apple takes a different stance and its App Store has removed providers containing pornographic material. Twitter’s Vine service is designed to encourage members to share clips recorded on their smartphones.
It extends the 140-character ethos of Twitter – which has 10million UK users, a sixth of the population – to video, with clips limited to six seconds.
But the ease and lack of restrictions allows users to spread porn quickly. There are fears that even anti-porn filters may not be able to block adult videos on sites such as Vine. There is also concern that teenagers will use Vine to film erotic scenes and distribute them to friends.
The Daily Mail has been highlighting the dangers to children as part of its Block Online Porn campaign. Children’s charities say the case highlights just how easy it is for children to stumble across porn online, whether on computers at home or on their mobiles.
The NSPCC has warned adult videos may be warping children’s idea of what is normal during sex. Claire Lilley of the NSPCC said: ‘It’s good that Twitter has acted quickly in this case, but it’s a stark reminder that social media platforms are not always safe for young people. There is a very real danger in terms of online pornography facing our children and it’s not going to go away.’
A Twitter spokesman said: ‘Upon realising this mistake we removed the video immediately. We apologise to our users for the error.’
© Daily Mail, London
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