Page 28 - Payout Magazine Online Volume 8.6

Youtubers

experience The

‘Rogue Affiliate’

effect

By : GeneZorkin

f you’ve ever worked for an adult affiliate
Iprogram, chances are you’re acutely aware of
the problems individual affiliates can cause, often
without meaning to do so.

Whether it’s spamming the known universe
with hardcore images which link to your sites, or
blatantly violating the terms of use of some massive
mainstream platform, all it takes is willpower and
an internet connection for an affiliate to give the
programs and sites they promote a serious case
of cyber-heartburn.

Outside of the adult industry, even among
media outlets which seem like they should have
a firm grasp on how affiliate-driven advertising
works, the role of affiliates in marketing adult sites
and products isn’t just poorly understood, it often
seems to be entirely unknown.

I think lack of understanding explains why, in
various reports of the same “ads for hardcore
porn” which (apparently) had been running on
some popular YouTube videos, the reporting
outlets have identified different two different cam
networks being promoted in those ads, without
contemplating the possibility those cam networks
(and YouTube itself) has no idea the term-of-use-
breaking advertising is taking place.

“YouTube is showing PORN ads that send users
to smutty webcam sex site,” screams The Sun. It’s
a headline which suggests the author believes
YouTube is showing such ads intentionally and
knowingly, despite the article including a response
from a YouTube spokesperson who notes the

28 PayOutMagazine