Mainstream social media platforms, including YouTube and X, are inadvertently acting as major gateways to apps and websites that create nonconsensual explicit imagery, according to a new report.
A study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), an anti-extremism organization, reveals how users find "nudify" tools that digitally undress people without consent. Contrary to expectations, much of the referral traffic doesn't originate from fringe online communities but from major social networks.
Between December 2025 and March 2026, social networks drove over 5.7 million visits to nudify sites. YouTube was the top referrer, accounting for 1.82 million visits, often linked to searches for "undress app" or "nudify app." These videos promoted specific apps or offered promo codes. X followed as the second-largest source, with over 1.3 million visits.
The ISD report highlights this traffic as a direct conflict with YouTube's policies against sexually explicit content, including synthetic imagery. Researchers found content violating these rules was easily accessible, effectively making YouTube a portal to these harmful sites. Melanie Smith, senior director of research and policy at ISD, noted that YouTube's policies also prohibit links to explicit websites, which should theoretically cover nonconsensual imagery, but enforcement appears inconsistent.
In response, a YouTube spokesperson stated the company has strict policies against unwanted sexualization and nonconsensually shared intimate imagery, including altered or synthetic content. The study also pointed out the alarming low cost of these tools, with some generating explicit content for as little as $1 per image, potentially earning millions annually. Disturbingly, the motivations behind using these apps are not always sexual, with some users aiming to ruin victims' livelihoods and lives.
