Purchase Of Vidme Turns Embeds On 'Respectable' Sites Big-Time Spicy

Move over, GETTR – in the continuation of a bizarre internet trend, it seems several legit websites have somehow become inadvertently overrun with porn, although this time, *not* out of spite for QAnon. 

Earlier this week, readers looking to catch up on the news from erm, several years ago, visiting sites for publications like the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and HuffPo were in for a very NSFW surprise when the videos embedded in the stories, once presumably visual aids filled with relevant information to the content at hand, were suddenly replaced with hardcore porn, due to good 'ol link rot. 

According to Vice's Motherboard, the switch from innocent videos to X-rated content happened after the domain for Vidme, a one-time competitor to YouTube that existed for almost three years before shutting down in 2017, was bought out by porn site 5 Star Porn HD, who then promptly filled every embedded vid.me link with a metric crapton of porn. 

From a story detailing how former House Majority leader turned pot-advocate, John Boehner has a “creepy kissy face" prominently featuring a couple going at it, to an article discussing how “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli got booted from Twitter alongside a video boldly asking "Why Don’t We Tag Team Your GF?” the change was rampant, per archived versions of the pages.

So folks, here's to link rot: the phenomenon somehow making the internet even more of a dumpster fire.

For more internet nonsense, follow Carly on Instagram @HuntressThompson_ on TikTok as @HuntressThompson_, and on Twitter @TennesAnyone.