Porn stars want Google to help them combat piracy

By Williams Pelegrin Published November 10, 2014

Google search — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Record labels have had long-standing complaints against Google, arguing that searching for music would result in piracy links ahead of legitimate sites. Google remedied that situation by striking a deal with the U.K. music industry, with legitimate links now shown more prominently than before. Now, the porn industry wants a similar deal, reports BBC.

Speaking to the outlet, several figures in the porn industry have expressed their desire to have legitimate links shown more prominently and ahead of illegitimate ones. “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,” said porn actress Angela White.

Recommended Videos

Rachel Swimmer, a porn actress and producer who uses the stage name Tasha Reign, wasn’t too hot on Google, either. “Our whole industry has been turned upside down due to the stealing of adult content,” said Swimmer. “By working with adult companies, Google could ensure the content that is seen contains age restrictions, unlike pirated content.”

However, changes over improved promotion of pornographic content unsurprisingly conflicts with politicians’ desire to place stricter rules on online content, mainly due to worries over children accessing pornography. Google told BBC it did not want to comment on these concerns.

Topics

Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

Mobile

Google Gemini is now a lot more helpful on Android phones

Google Gemini running on an Android phone.

Google Gemini is getting a little bit smarter thanks to a small change recently discovered by 9to5Google. The AI assistant will now answer “general questions” even if your Android device is locked.

According to a Google support page, commands like “What’s the weather?” once required you to open your phone first. However, Google now lets you “get answers from Gemini without unlocking your device.” Previously, Gemini could only control things like alarms, timers, and media while your phone was locked.

Mobile

Your Google Chrome app is getting 5 helpful new features

An Android phone showing Android 15.

The Google Chrome app for iOS and Android is introducing numerous new features to make searching in Chrome easier than ever. These features are either going live now with the latest Google Chrome app update or launching on the iPhone 15, Galaxy S24, and other devices later this year.

Google is introducing additional Chrome Actions to help you find local places. When searching for a restaurant, you will see shortcut buttons in the search results that allow you to call the restaurant, get directions, and access reviews. Android users can access this new feature in Chrome now, while iOS users must wait for a fall update.

Mobile

You don’t want to see this warning on your Google Pixel phone

Someone holding the Bay blue Google Pixel 8 Pro.

It's summertime in the U.S., so it's getting hot. When that happens, keeping yourself and your mobile devices cool is important. With that in mind, Google is developing a new message that will be displayed on Pixel phones when they overheat.

As 9to5Google discovered in fresh code, Google will no longer show a basic message warning when a phone may be overheating. Instead, it plans to post: "Phone needs to cool down: You may experience slower performance. Try avoiding direct sunlight or close any battery-intensive apps."