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YouTube drove 1.82 million visits to nudify sites
A new ISD report says YouTube and X sent millions of users to nudify apps, despite policies meant to block nonconsensual explicit content.
Image: Wired
Mainstream social platforms are sending users straight to nudify apps that create nonconsensual explicit deepfakes, according to a new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).
The study, published on Monday, examined the top 10 apps and websites used to make these images and how users find them. Between December 2025 and March 2026, social networks drove more than 5.7 million visits to nudify sites. YouTube was the biggest source, responsible for 1.82 million visits—more than 30 percent of all referrals. X ranked second, accounting for more than 1.3 million visits.
ISD found that YouTube videos surfaced through searches for terms like “undress app” and “nudify app.” Those videos did more than mention the tools: some reviewed and promoted specific apps, while others shared promo codes for free credits.
“It wasn’t just that YouTube was a passive source. In a lot of these cases, it was facilitating the use of these tools as well.”
The report says that appears to conflict directly with YouTube’s rules barring sexually explicit content. Smith told WIRED that YouTube also prohibits links to or advertising for explicit websites, which in theory should cover nonconsensual imagery, revenge porn, and nude photo leaks, but “it doesn’t seem like that’s being enforced comprehensively.”
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In a statement to WIRED, YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle said the company has “strict policies prohibiting content that includes unwanted sexualization, such as nonconsensually shared intimate imagery.” He said the rules apply both to videos on YouTube and to external links, including “altered or synthetic content that realistically simulates nudity.”
The report also looked at how cheap and accessible these tools have become. Some apps and sites charge as little as $1 per image. A recent WIRED report found the category may be generating up to $36 million in collective annual revenue.
The study says common targets include current and ex-girlfriends, as well as sisters and cousins. Smith said many users were not primarily motivated by sexual gratification.
“A lot of the requests were about getting people fired from jobs and compromising their livelihoods and lives in nefarious ways.”
Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via Wired
