Despite one in ten websites containing pornographic material (and the human race being, you know, pretty into porn), Google still doesn't treat pirated porn the same as music and film – and leading members of the adult entertainment industry are getting pretty fed up with it.
The search engine behemoth recently introduced measures for music and film companies to make sure their content comes up ahead of pirated material on the results page. So if you want to watch a film online and type it into Google, legal options such as Netflix and iTunes will rank ahead of illegal streaming sites like Putlocker or Novamov – but the same preferential treatment doesn't apply to adult films.
Porn stars have accused Google of failing to take their industry seriously and are now demanding the same treatment.
Speaking to the BBC, porn actor Angela White said: "Google continues to discriminate against the adult industry. It's perpetuating the misconception that the adult industry is not a legitimate industry. It's run like any other professional industry; we pay taxes, create jobs and contribute to the economy. How many times a day is the word 'porn' typed into the Google search interface? Mainstream corporations like Google continue to discriminate against the adult industry despite the world being genuinely interested in seeking out pornography."
The emergence of "tube" streaming sites like RedTube and YouPorn has turned the industry upside down as they distribute the work of porn studios for free. Businesses can request the removal of material, but it's near impossible to keep tabs on such a sprawling network of pornography.
Adult entertainment workers want to be placed on the same anti-piracy pedestal as other industries and lent support in their battle for financial survival. They also argue that if Google worked with the industry, it would be easier to implement age restrictions on adult content and prevent children from accessing unsuitable material.
Google has yet to comment on the story.
