Copyright Takedowns Reveal Hacked University and Government Sites Pushing Adult Content

Copyright takedown requests tied to OnlyFans and other adult content creators are shining a light on a quiet form of website abuse. According to Dark Reading, attackers are exploiting vulnerable university and government websites to manipulate search results.

The takedown notices have become an unexpected source of evidence. They point to trusted, legitimate domains that have been compromised and used to promote content they were never meant to host. Because these sites carry strong reputations, they can be useful tools for anyone trying to influence what appears in search engines.

UpGuard's Greg Pollock discusses what universities, government websites and security teams should consider next. The wider lesson reaches beyond large institutions. Any organisation with an outdated or poorly maintained website could be misused in a similar way, often without the owner noticing until a complaint or takedown request arrives.