YouTube Breast Pumping Videos Garner Millions of Views, Raising Ethical Concerns

Sep 20, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A search for 'breast pump' 「搾乳機」on YouTube returns numerous videos with titles like 'Introduction to Breast Pumping.' But what exactly are these videos?

The content typically features women demonstrating how to use a breast pump.

One such woman, who works as a nurse in a hospital in Tokyo and is a single mother of a two-year-old, introduces the topic: "Today, I’d like to talk about breast pumping."

However, many of these videos involve women exposing their chests to demonstrate the usage of breast pumps.

One particular video shows a woman suddenly lifting her shirt and baring her chest. While the stated purpose of the video is educational, most of the content involves actual chest exposure during demonstrations.

Some of these videos have accumulated over two million views within a month, with one nearing six million views.

When asked for their opinions, some people expressed discomfort: "As someone who pumps regularly, I find this disturbing. My friends, who are also mothers, said it's unacceptable," and "As a parent, I don't want breast pumps to be used in this manner," were some of the reactions. Another individual commented, "Cute women are the ones doing this, and I can imagine who the viewers are. It makes me uncomfortable."

What’s particularly shocking is that these videos are accessible to children.

Although labeled as "educational," the videos involve chest exposure while demonstrating breast pump usage. YouTube’s guidelines prohibit content intended to provide sexual gratification but allow for educational material, even if sexual content is involved.

Some of the videos also include links to adult content in the description, leading viewers to such material.

Pigeon, a manufacturer whose breast pumps were featured in the videos, stated: "We have reported these as inappropriate videos to YouTube, but every time they are deleted, new ones are uploaded. It's a game of cat and mouse. We urge users to stop uploading inappropriate content."

Koji Mizokami, a lawyer well-versed in online issues, commented: "They are exploiting loopholes, so it’s difficult to remove them entirely and immediately. There are malicious operators targeting young children, including elementary and middle schoolers."

Source: FNN

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