Spotify can’t seem to shake its porn problem

Time was, listening to a podcast meant downloading an audio recording to your iPod. These days, podcasts aren’t just available on pretty much every device under the sun, but they’re also no longer constrained to audio formats, with many popular creators having made the switch to video. And while we have access to more podcasts than ever, that shifting definition has also made it easier for non-podcast content to masquerade as such. That’s just what seems to be going on at Spotify right now, as users complain about pornographic and adult content invading their podcasts.

A report last week from Bloomberg highlights the growing problem, where crudely packaged reuploads from Pornhub appear in Spotify’s top podcast charts alongside mainstream entries (via Android Police). The platform’s embrace of video ultimately opened the doors for this to happen, even as Spotify specifically prohibits sexually explicit material. Beyond video, there’s also been a rise in explicit audio recordings, and while that at least feels slightly more up Spotify’s alley, it’s similarly forbidden and is removed when the service takes notice of it.