“How can we tackle privacy in digital intimacy?”

In a statement recently provided to YNOT, that’s how Flirtbate, an adult chat and live streaming platform, framed a thorny question facing adult content creators, platforms and users alike.

Noting that we live in an era in which “’free’ has become the most expensive word online.” Flirtbate observed that “ad-funded platforms continue to monetize attention, not safety.”

“Behavior is tracked, conversations are analyzed, and audience data is auctioned at scale, while privacy protections remain an afterthought,” the statement added. “Even private interactions with AI assistants are now used to target ads: Meta recently confirmed that chats with Meta AI on Facebook and Instagram will directly shape the ads users see, with no opt-out.”

Flirtbate observed that the adult live-streaming sector feels this issue acutely, adding that “free-first” sites “prioritize volume over verification, producing crowded, spam-heavy spaces where bots are everywhere and genuine connection erodes.”

“Independent analyses show how automated the wider web has become,” Flirtbate said, adding that “one 2024 industry roundup found that 36-42% of global internet traffic came from bots, and that 95% of advanced bot attacks went undetected on websites.”

To address these concerns, Flirtbate said a “different model is overdue, one that treats intimacy as personal and privacy-forward.”

In the statement, Flirtbate argued that “paying for intimacy should mean greater privacy, not greater risk of exposure.” The Flirtbate platform, the company said, is focused on “one-to-one encounters” that reward “connection over mass visibility, giving users control through clear one-way and two-way video options.”

“Encryption, transparent moderation, and real-time bot detection and removal help to make privacy part of the product itself – fewer eyes, more control,” the company added.

Flirtbate also noted that “within adult creator economies, AI has created new tensions.”

“Networks of AI ‘pimping’ accounts, built from stolen creator footage and face-swapped personas, are ‘flooding’ Instagram at an alarming rate, WIRED reports,” Flirtbate added. “Some agencies have even begun using AI impersonators to manage creator DMs, promising ‘efficiency’ but often reducing authenticity.”

Flirtbate said the risks of such AI-driven practices “extend beyond impersonation.”

“The Washington Post has documented how easy it remains to generate non-consensual deepfakes, with no U.S. federal law protecting victims,” the statement added. “Meanwhile, regulators in the UK and elsewhere are enforcing new age-verification regimes requiring face scans or ID uploads, prompting concern among privacy researchers that such measures could entrench surveillance.”

Against this backdrop, Flirtbate said the platform’s stance is delineated by a straightforward question: what if paying actually bought privacy?

“In a bot-saturated, data-harvesting internet, only a small fraction of major domains, 2.8%, according to DataDome’s 2025 report, are fully protected against automated traffic, proving just how prevalent this issue is.”

So, what is Flirtbate doing about it?

According to a spokesperson for the platform, Flirtbate has “implemented technological layers that help us quickly identify any anomalies and take appropriate action in real time.”

“We are proud to say that at this moment, 100% of the profiles on our platform are genuine, and we are constantly working to maintain that,” the spokesperson added. “Our commitment is to providing an authentic experience for our users without compromise.”

Flirtbate said that as AI impersonators multiply and ‘assistant chats’ become another advertising channel, “the premium experience many users seek is not just intimacy but the right to remain unseen.”

“Platforms that center consent and protection rather than mass viewership may offer the most sustainable path forward for human connection online,” the company concluded.

For more information on Flirtbate and what the platform has to offer, go to Flirtbate.com.