Screenshots showing YouTube autocomplete the search “How to have s*x with your kids,” has been making the rounds on 4chan and Reddit. Independent journalist Mike Cernovich tweeted a screenshot of the autocorrect Sunday, asking YouTube for a comment.
BuzzFeed reporter Charlie Warzel tried the search himself and found that indeed the search is genuine.
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“Hi @TeamYouTube: Why does “How to have…” auto fill into pedophile content? Multiple people reported this to me,” asked Cernovich.
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/934921972898656257
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“Seeing this sceenshot float around so I just did it myself in incognito mode. This i a VERY troubling YouTube search autocomplete, no?,” tweeted BuzzFeed reporter Charlie Warzel.
Seeing this sceenshot float around so I just did it myself in incognito mode. This i a VERY troubling YouTube search autocomplete, no? pic.twitter.com/Nj0IlV4OpU
— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) November 26, 2017
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The search does not yield any videos instructing parents on how to have sex with their kids.
“should note that if you click any of those you do not get any pedophile vids (that i could see but still…what’s going on?,” added Warzel.
should note that if you click any of those you do not get any pedophile vids (that i could see but still…what's going on?
— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) November 26, 2017
The BuzzFeed reporter has reached out to YouTube for comment.
I've contacted YouTube about it – will update if they respond.
— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) November 26, 2017
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Others tweeted screenshots showing the same autocompleted search.
— Kip Dotson #USCgrad #GenderStudies #MathTeacher (@TechHomeboy) November 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/TitanBuilder1/status/934930044509609985
https://twitter.com/Talkposture/status/934927420800380930
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I tried it on my android phone….same thing pic.twitter.com/w2XiC75Mbn
— Tom Graham (@tom2badcat) November 26, 2017
Same here via YouTube app. Gross. pic.twitter.com/aKPzujeCuD
— Rita SD Jobs (@RitaSDJobs) November 26, 2017
Confirmed. How does this autofill work @YouTube ? pic.twitter.com/24Ukkdiscj
— Papa (@waivmovement) November 27, 2017
Real pic.twitter.com/x9KLhtaZNW
— Iᗰ Tᕼᗴ ᗪOOKIᗴ ᗰᗩᑎ (@Bigbadb2531) November 27, 2017
The fuck… pic.twitter.com/sRq12f5yBD
— SherrSherr (@SherrFarFarAway) November 27, 2017
holy crap pic.twitter.com/AWF7x765Au
— ❌If Trump calls I will answer (@BCsknees) November 26, 2017
Later on, Warzel suggested the autocomplete search could be a “trolling campaign.”
“YouTube has yet to respond but important to note that it could (maybe?) also be the work of a coordinated trolling campaign to make YouTube look even worse after a week of being linked to child exploitation content.”
YouTube has yet to respond but important to note that it could (maybe?) also be the work of a coordinated trolling campaign to make YouTube look even worse after a week of being linked to child exploitation content https://t.co/j2euOEmaxp
— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) November 27, 2017
Not sure how YT autocomplete algorithms differ from Goog's but in 2016 Google said this about how the autocomplete algos surface: pic.twitter.com/ZQolt2wvVG
— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) November 27, 2017
The Gateway Pundit will update its story with YouTube’s response.
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