Wikipedia Porn Purge Includes Content of Adult Companies

SAN FRANCISCO — The parent company of online encyclopedia Wikipedia is reportedly tossing thousands of explicit images from its websites as it plans on announcing a new policy regarding sexually explicit content.

Included in those images that have been or will be purged include those taken from the sites of adult entertainment companies and from their awards shows, FoxNews.com said.

XBIZ calls to Wikipedia officials to confirm the FoxNews report went unreturned by post time.

According to FoxNews, minors can easily stumble upon sexually explicit photos, including close-ups of genitalia, couples and groups involved sexual intercourse and masturbation.

Wikipedia's move came as FoxNews.com was in the process of asking dozens of companies that have donated to Wikimedia Foundation — the group behind Wikimedia Commons and its Wiki projects, including Wikipedia — if they were aware of the extent of sexually explicit content on the sites.

FoxNews said it contacted donors Google, Microsoft's Bing, Yahoo!, Open Society Institute, Ford Foundation, Best Buy, USA Networks and Craigslist Foundation.

Last week, FoxNews revealed that Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger had sent a letter to the FBI expressing his concerns that Wikimedia was distributing child pornography.

The FBI has not commented on whether it will pursue an investigation.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Arcom to Expand AV Enforcement to Smaller Adult Sites

The president of French media regulator Arcom revealed on Thursday that the agency plans to escalate its enforcement of age verification rules to include smaller adult sites, starting in late 2025 or early 2026.

AEBN Publishes Report on MILF, Cougar Trends

AEBN has published a report on MILF and Cougar categories from its straight theaters.

Pornhub to Shut Down Access in Arizona Over Age Verification

Aylo will geoblock Pornhub across Arizona starting Sept. 26, when the state’s age verification law, HB 2112, goes into effect.

Flirtback Launches Zcash Crypto Payment Solution

Creator platform Flirtback has launched its Zcash (ZEC) crypto payment solution.

Vixen Media Group Appoints Samuel Spencer as President, COO

Vixen Media Group (VMG) has named industry veteran Samuel Spencer as its new president and chief operating officer.

French Telecoms Mogul Ignites AV Firestorm With Free VPN, Sarcastic Tweet

French billionaire Xavier Niel, founder of telecommunications giant Iliad, sparked a heated debate this week when he appeared to admit that the company's Free Mobile wireless carrier integrated no-cost VPN into its service specifically to circumvent age verification restrictions on adult content.

UPDATED: Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Taliban Restricts Access to Adult Content by Shutting Down Internet

The Taliban has shut down internet access across a large portion of Afghanistan in a move to prevent what it deems "immoral activities."

Go.cam Adds Video Spoofing Protection for AV

Go.cam has announced that its verification solution now features security against video spoofing.

SexLikeReal Releases 'VR Self-Care' Guide

SexLikeReal (SLR) has published a blog post spotlighting “VR Self-Care.”

Show More