# How does Pornhub know your gender?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 9, 2019, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454 "2019-01-09T07:27:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2019, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/1 "2019-01-09T07:27:23Z")
In [this](https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/j5zzyp/heres-the-porn-that-women-watched-in-2018?utm_source=vicefbca&utm_campaign=global) article it breaks down what categories of porn are watched by women.
How the hell would Pornhub know what gender of person is sitting behind the browser?
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### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2019, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/2 "2019-01-09T08:47:07Z")
User accounts. People can sign up for free accounts that let them comment on videos and stuff. Part of the sign up form, no doubt, asks for the user’s sex.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/3 "2019-01-09T08:52:12Z")
OK. So people actually sign up for free porn? Wow.
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/4 "2019-01-09T15:08:32Z")
Based on a very cursory investigation I don’t think it’s user accounts.
Evidence (weak):
- Discussions on reddit and stackexchange seem to mention that based on the number of registered users and the data presented it is not based on user accounts.
- The Age demographics categories are exactly those reported by Google Analytics, which also can deliver a breakdown on inferred gender
Conclusion:
Google Analytics
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/5 "2019-01-10T03:52:53Z")
I’ll guess they are projecting.
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### Author:  [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/6 "2019-01-10T05:14:43Z")
You’re looking at it, right? That makes it highly probable that you are either a straight guy or gay woman. It’s a good guess to start with. After that, cookies that indicate your preferences fine tune things.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/7 "2019-01-10T06:49:11Z")
If you don’t sign up, you can’t get recommendations based on what you like or save favorites or sub to particular porn stars because you love their stuff. You also get playlists and comments, but I don’t use those.
For someone like me with particular interests (and disinterests, like all that incest crap), it’s very nice to have it pre-sorted.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/8 "2019-01-10T08:55:16Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#):
>
> Part of the sign up form, no doubt, asks for the user’s sex.
What, you mean like do they prefer missionary or the reverse cowgirl?
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### Author:  [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/9 "2019-01-10T21:10:28Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> OK. So people actually sign up for free porn? Wow.
>
> Thanks.
Oh yes definitely.
As has been stated, you get the recommended videos, it’s also where you can favorite videos and watch them (well the first 30 seconds, another 20 seconds in the middle, then the end) again and again.
It doesn’t cost money, just a simple UN and PW
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### Author:  [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/10 "2019-01-10T23:05:49Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> How the hell would Pornhub know what gender of person is sitting behind the browser?
Facial recognition 😃
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### Author:  [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/11 "2019-01-10T23:43:48Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> OK. So people actually sign up for free porn? Wow.
>
> Thanks.
It can limit pop-ups, allow you to see members-only videos and also allow downloading. So I have heard.
Dennis
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### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/12 "2019-01-11T03:56:42Z")
> [@jasg](#):
>
> _Facial_ recognition 😃
ISWYDT. :eek:
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-pornhub-know-your-gender/827454/14 "2019-11-01T23:21:51Z")
Reported. #5 so far tonight.