A new study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) has found that YouTube and X, two of the world's most popular social media platforms, are funneling millions of users to websites that create sexually explicit deepfakes without consent. The report, published this week, analyzes the top 10 apps and sites used to generate nonconsensual intimate images and reveals that referral traffic largely comes from mainstream platforms, not niche, poorly regulated communities.
5.7 Million Visits to Deepfake Apps Driven by Social Networks
According to the ISD report, social networks drove over 5.7 million visits to nudify sites between December 2025 and March 2026. YouTube was the top driver, responsible for 1.82 million visits, over 30% of the total. Videos leading to these sites included reviews and promotions of specific apps, often with links to promo codes for free credits. X ranked second, accounting for over 1.3 million visits. The study notes these findings are in 'direct conflict' with YouTube's policies prohibiting sexually explicit content. 'In theory, this should include nudify websites or tools that generate nonconsensual explicit imagery,' the report reads. 'However, content violating these policies was easily discoverable and accessible on the platform, effectively turning it into a gateway to nudify websites.'
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Melanie Smith, ISD's senior director of research and policy, told WIRED: 'It wasn't just that YouTube was a passive source of referral traffic. In a lot of these cases, it was facilitating the use of these tools as well.' Smith notes that YouTube's policies not only ban posting sexually explicit content but also linking to or advertising sexually explicit websites. 'In theory, that should cover nonconsensual imagery and revenge porn, but it doesn't seem like that's being enforced comprehensively.'
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Low Cost of Nudification Apps and Massive Profits
The study also examined pricing of nudification tools, allowing users to generate explicit content for as little as $1 per image. Despite low costs, these platforms can be highly profitable: a recent WIRED report estimated they generate up to $36 million in collective revenue annually. Common targets include current and ex-girlfriends and, disturbingly, relatives like sisters and cousins. Motivations are not always sexual: 'A lot of the requests were about getting people fired from jobs and compromising their livelihoods in nefarious ways,' Smith says.
Legislation and Challenges in Combating Nonconsensual Deepfakes
Nudify apps have become a major scourge on social media. In January 2026, X faced backlash when users leveraged the AI chatbot Grok to generate nonconsensual nude images, including of minors. The company later restricted Grok to paid users. Despite laws like the federal Take It Down Act in the U.S., which requires platforms to remove nonconsensual images within 48 hours, and Minnesota's recent ban on nudification apps specifically, the spread continues. The ISD report calls for coordinated, system-wide responses including stronger platform regulation and digital literacy programs in schools. With deepfake cases reported in over 90 schools worldwide, the proliferation shows no signs of slowing.
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For more on AI platform developments, read our article on iOS 27 Public Beta with Siri AI. To see the original report, visit WIRED.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/youtube-and-x-have-become-gateways-to-nudify-apps
