Yikes! My sex video has been uploaded to YouPorn, apparently

Seems legit.

Graham Cluley
Graham Cluley
@
@[email protected]
@gcluley

My sex video has been uploaded to YouPorn. Apparently.

I’ve received an email. It’s from YouPorn, and they say it’s urgent.

Youporn email 1

This should be interesting. Let’s see what it has to say.

Youporn email 2

Well, the YouPorn logo and nicely-formatted message certainly makes it look like it has come from the porn video site.

And, uh-oh, it seems YouPorn’s AI algorithm has detected me in a sex video that has been uploaded!

Now, I can be forgetful… but I’m reasonably sure that I have never knowingly appeared in a sexually explicit movie, let alone uploaded it to YouPorn.

But how clever of YouPorn’s AI system to detect that it was me in the video, and then get in touch to warn me.

It makes me wonder what kind of AI technology they’re using here. I mean, normally you wouldn’t expect even the smartest AI system to be able to tell who a person was by the kind of body parts that are likely to be taking prime position in a video like this.

Youporn email 3

Oh well, if it’s “advanced technology” that explains it. Sounds like they’re pretty powerful…

Youporn email 4

Ouch! So, if I don’t want the video published on YouPorn I have to let them know within seven days.

So, I guess all I have to do is click on the link to check out the video. Seems reasonable.

But, damn it, there’s a problem.

Youporn email 5

You see, the link in the email YouPorn has sent me doesn’t go anywhere. There’s no website address to go with the https:// !

I’m going to have to find some other way to stop the video being published.

Youporn email 6

Sounds like they’ve got some pretty cool technology at YouPorn for dealing with this kind of situation.

Youporn email 7

Aha! This is more like it. But I’m not sure if a “basic express” service that prevents re-uploading of my saucy sex video to 20 websites (I heard there are more porn websites than that) is good enough, even if it only costs $199.

Youporn email 8

Protection against the video being re-uploaded to over 300 of YouPorn’s network of partner websites for just $699 sounds like a better deal. But hang on, this is just for one year! I don’t want to have to clean up this mess again in 12 months time… I need the best protection available to maintain my squeaky clean online reputation.

Youporn email 9

Now this sounds more like it. All of the previously-mentioned protection “plus digital protection by MediaWise® and Safeguard” (anything that has a registered trademark symbol has got to be impressive, right?) “…based on facial recognition data for three years.”

Sign up to our free newsletter.
Security news, advice, and tips.

Three years isn’t as good as perpetual, but it’s better than one year. And they seem to be guaranteeing that “any content with my biometrics will be blocked”.

All for a mere $1399.

Where do I pay?

Youporn email 10

Hmmph. I have to pay through cryptocurrency? That seems a little unorthodox. But hey, maybe YouPorn is just trying to protect my privacy. After all I wouldn’t necessarily want my partner to spot a payment to YouPorn on my credit card bill.

Youporn email 11

Let’s check out that link.

Youporn email 12

Darnit. That link doesn’t work either! I’m just going to have to assume that YouPorn has got a sex video of me, as I can’t double-check for myself.

Youporn email 13

No, thank YOU.

For further discussion of this topic, check out episode 340 of the “Smashing Security” podcast:


Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and is the co-host of the popular "Smashing Security" podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.

3 comments on “Yikes! My sex video has been uploaded to YouPorn, apparently”

  1. billy

    How are hackers doing this and getting away with using the email domains of companies??
    I have had numerous emails from Microsoft Security info replacement 'Remider' from [email protected] ? saying my account is going to be replaced with ##HTMLEMAIL_ACCOUNT# at the beginning of next month (gives me a date)

    If this was you click the button below to bypass the waiting period by using your existing security info.

    ??? I am locked out of my email account live/outlook really need help.

  2. Spryte

    Its not only YouPorn. Let me tell you a story.
    Yesterday I did my Microsoft Bing Quizzes. I use the quizzes to generate Microsoft Rewards points which I donate to my favourite charity.
    Well they must have used the Bing AI to generate some of the questions (get where I'm going ;-))?
    One of the questions asked for cities in Italy. None of the potential answers to be in were in Italy but I got correct checkmarks for cities I chose that were in France.
    Another question was formatted similarly and all correct answers were somewhere else.
    Even the great can ***mess***-up.

  3. jan hruska

    *reads headline*

    *sigh*

    *unzips*

What do you think? Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.