Vinted blocks ‘sickening’ sexually explict ads

Online retailer Vinted said it had removed sexually explicit ads after a mum reported seeing what she thought was a video of pornography while she was looking for clothes.

Kirsty Hopley, 44, from Carlisle, said she was looking for a robe on the app when the advert popped up.

At that moment, she was sitting next to her teenage daughter.

Ms Hopley reported the contents to Vinted and then contacted Ofcom.

She told BBC News that the video, which began playing automatically, showed “disgusting” scenes and violent sexual contact.

The law and criminology teacher said she installed content filters on her home internet and was shocked to see such content on the e-commerce platform.

“I probably won’t buy anything there again, which is disappointing because I love Vinted,” she said. “But I don’t want to see that kind of content.”

The age-free platform recently came under scrutiny in France following reports that some sellers were using the site to direct users to adult content.

The ad Ms Hopley saw promoted DramaWave, a mobile app that creates short story stories for social platforms.

Many of their series seem to follow romantic storylines across multiple episodes of only a few minutes each.

Vinted said the ads are now blocked.

The spokesperson said the platform has a “zero-tolerance policy against unwanted sexual messages and the promotion of sexual content.”

“This includes a ban on sexually explicit advertising on our platform,” they said.

“If ads or announcements are found to violate these rules, we will take action, including blocking or removing them.”

The BBC has approached DramaWave for comment.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told BBC News their rules are clear: “advertising must not cause harm or offend.”

“Harmful or degrading portrayals of women in advertising are completely unacceptable and we have a zero-tolerance approach to this type of content,” they said in a statement.

They added: “We would encourage anyone who is concerned about the advert they have seen to contact us.”

Ms Hopley told BBC News she expected the UK Online Safety Act (OSA)which includes laws to protect children from explicit content online to prevent such material from appearing on her phone.

However, the only paid advertising that falls under the Intellectual Property Law is fraudulent content.