5 Unexpected Places Your Kid Might Encounter Porn Online

Porn — you can find it on the internet in a matter of seconds, and as a parent, this is likely among your biggest concerns when it comes to protecting your child. 

It’s one thing to worry about your child finding porn on platforms that are known to have it like PornHub, but it’s a whole different story when it can be stumbled upon on seemingly harmless apps and websites. Here are 5 places you may not think kids could encounter inappropriate content while online.

5 Unexpected Places Your Kid Might Encounter Porn Online

Music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music

Many parents are shocked by this one, since the average person pulls up Spotify to listen to their favorite playlists and artists, or to throw on a playlist based on vibes. But these platforms all have:

• Explicit sexual sounds
• Music videos that are inappropriate
• Adult-themed podcasts 
• Album cover art with explicit sexual imagery
• Spicy audiobooks

We know — the first time we learned about this, we were surprised, too. We recommend using the explicit content filter on music streaming apps that your child uses. Unfortunately, on most of these apps, the parental controls aren’t passcode protected, which means that they’re easily turned off. In good news, Bark’s monitoring service works with Spotify, scanning song lyrics and titles for explicit content so you know what they’re listening to. 

Snapchat and Instagram’s dangerous discover and explore features

On top of all of the other dangers that Snapchat and Instagram pose — disappearing messages and photos, bullying, drug dealers, interpersonal friend drama — they also can expose kids to explicit content.

Snapchat’s Discover, and Instagram’s Explore, show users content they may express an interest in. Sometimes, it’s harmless and on-point, like knowing that a person loves dogs or cooking. But there’s also random inclusions that veer into different territory, and these can sometimes be completely inappropriate. Technically, porn is not allowed on these apps (ironic, we know), but it can take a while before things are taken down.

Pop-up ads and banners in apps and games

Even the most wholesome-seeming online games, ones with no objectionable content in the gameplay itself, can expose kids to sexual content in the form of ads for sexual websites. A perfect example of this is the game Block Blast, which has a 17+ rating in the App Store. 

Multiple parents in our Facebook group asked why the rating is so high for a simple, Tetris-like game. After diving into some research based on its app listing, it’s because the app states that its ads will have “...suggestive themes, plus sexual content, nudity, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs…” And sure enough, in between rounds, random ads pop up, including sexually explicit ones. 

One way to avoid this kind of danger is to check App Store ratings and reviews before letting your child download new games. You might also consider opting for ad-free versions of games if they’re offered — a small cost that might make a big difference.

The YouTube endless autoplays (YouTube Kids included!)

Like so many other apps these days, YouTube and YouTube Kids have an algorithm that uses viewing history to show you other videos they think you’ll like. But like with any tech, algorithms aren’t perfect, and children can end up on some strange and inappropriate videos — even on YouTube Kids, which is supposedly curated with only content for young people. This can be super concerning for families because kids may not even realize what they’re watching when inappropriate content pops up. To help protect your kid, it’s wise to supervise their screen time, take regular looks at what’s in their “recommended” list, and set up content filters on all devices.

Reddit & X: Text-based platforms with a porn problem

Reddit and X are both popular platforms that are known for their lengthy discussion threads, super timely memes, and trending news — but they also are huge epicenters for porn. This app in particular has explicit content marked as NSFW (not safe for work), but even these tags don’t always prevent young users from stumbling across inappropriate threads. Similarly, X allows explicit images, making it easy to encounter unwanted content.

Setting up a safer online experience on these platforms can be tricky, as they don’t offer traditional parental controls. This is where Bark’s monitoring tool comes in handy, allowing you to receive alerts for sexual text and images your child may post, interact with, or save, so you can know what’s going on.

How Bark Can Help

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of places porn can crop up online, don’t worry — you’re not alone. Bark is here to help! Our advanced technology scans your child’s online activities and alerts you when your kid is texting about porn, mentioning it in emails, or getting links to porn sites through DMs in their social media accounts. For certain devices and platforms, Bark can also monitor your child’s web searches — even if they’re using incognito mode! We’ll also alert you to inappropriate screenshots, memes, photos, and videos saved to their device.

For extra help, we also offer a powerful web-blocking tool that helps you restrict access to what your child can get into online. You can block by category and specific site to help keep them safe. And if you’re very concerned, you could take the opposite tack and block all sites while allowing only a few trusted ones. It’s up to you! For the safest option, we recommend the Bark Phone starter plan, which comes with no internet access at all. It’s got no browsers, no apps, no social media — just talk & text to help keep kids connected and better protected.