Gun enthusiasts turn to PornHub after being banned by YouTube

Disgruntled gun enthusiasts who have seen their videos banned from YouTube have turned to PornHub as a means for sharing their content.

Next month, YouTube, which is owned by Google, will introduce strict rules and regulations, effectively banning a large amount of firearm-related videos from the site.

The restrictions will prevent users from uploading videos that feature instructions on how to make guns, ammunition and accessories, and also how to instal modifications.

It will also ban any users from providing links to sell guns and advise on how to convert a gun into an automatic firearm.

The video streaming site is a huge platform for gun enthusiasts at the moment, with a search for 'how to build a gun' returning more than 25 million results.

Several pro-gun YouTube channels have already voiced their anger on Facebook about the decision including Spike's Tactical and InRange TV.

The latter of those, which is a gun review website, made a point of telling their followers that they will now be sharing content on the free porn streaming site, PornHub.

Karl Kasarda and Ian McCollum, who run the site, said in a statement via Bloomberg:

YouTube’s newly released vague and one-sided firearms policy make it abundantly clear that YouTube cannot be counted upon to be a safe harbour for a wide variety of views and subject matter

PornHub has a history of being a proactive voice in the online community, as well as operating a resilient and robust video streaming platform.

In a lengthy Facebook post, InRangeTV also stated that there is a hypocritical element to this move from YouTube, as drug-related content is still prevalent on the site.

They wrote:

In my first letter to Bloomberg, I mentioned that the simple search of marijuana + bong on YouTube revealed not only people consuming a Federally illegal schedule 1 substance but instructions on as well.

This particularly important point seems to have been lost in the now heavily reutilised article about InRangeTV’s move to start distributing our content on PornHub.

YouTube has since responded to these claims from InRangeTV, telling NPRthat "such videos also violate policies and should be removed. Generally, people flag content and then it goes into a queue for employees to review".

However, this move to PornHub for the gun enthusiasts is not completely foolproof, as the site does have policies in place to remove videos that could be considered blackmail, intimidation, copyright infringement or revenge porn.

Versions of major films like Star Wars and The Avengers have been found on PornHub in the past, as well as an illegally filmed copy of the major musical Hamilton.

There has been a considerable move toquell all pro-gun content and propaganda in the American media, in the wake of the Parkland school shooting in February.

The National Rifle Association have seen their connections with the NRA, including United Airlines, Delta Airlines and Hertz. However, their video channels remain on sites like YouTube and Amazon.

PornHub is yet to release a statement in regards to the issue.

HT NPR

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