YouTube admits ‘disturbing’ autocomplete results suggested child sex searches
The company says it is 'investigating this matter'
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Your support makes all the difference.YouTube’s autocomplete feature has been suggesting disturbing search terms to users.
People have found that typing “how to have” into the site’s search bar has been causing highly inappropriate suggestions to appear.
These include “how to have s*x with your kids” and “how to have s*x kids”.
YouTube has been heavily criticised over recent days, after it emerged that paedophiles are posting inappropriate content and comments on the site and evading protection mechanisms.
It has now confirmed that the site’s search bar had been showing disturbing suggestions, but says this is no longer the case.
“Earlier today our teams were alerted to this profoundly disturbing autocomplete result and we worked to quickly remove it as soon as we were made aware," a YouTube spokesperson told the Independent.
“We are investigating this matter to determine what was behind the appearance of this autocompletion.”
Some of the comments reportedly encourage children to perform sexual acts.
Major brands, including Mars and Adidas, have stopped advertising on the platform, and the site has said it will take an “even more aggressive stance” against predatory behaviour.
It has promised to remove ads from inappropriate videos targeting families, block inappropriate comments on videos featuring minors, provide guidance for creators who make family-friendly content and get advice from experts.
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