Top 5 Pornhub controversies: From child porn allegations to YouTube and Instagram bans
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Pornhub was one of the many websites owned by MindGeek owned that streamed pornographic videos. Visitors to the website were able to watch pornographic videos in both professional and amateur categories. On social media platforms, users could share videos and cast "like" or "dislike" votes. Viewers could create a free Pornhub account, which gave them access to additional features like commenting, downloading and adding videos to their favorites, and uploading their own films.
Due to several lawsuits filed against the company, Pornhub was officially banned in the USA in 2022. With the upcoming Netflix documentary 'Moneyshot: The Pornhub Story', let's dive into some of the well-known controversies the company has been involved in.
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1. Top executives resign
Due to complaints that the website did not immediately or effectively delete non-consensual and child-sexual content, two top executives of Pornhub's parent firm MindGeek resigned in June 2022. MindGeek acknowledged the resignations of CEO Ferrous Anton and COO David Tasillo. “Antoon and Tasillo leave the day-to-day operations of MindGeek after more than a decade in leadership positions with the company. MindGeek’s executive leadership team will run day-to-day operations on an interim basis, with the search underway for a replacement,” the statement said.
The resignation was announced over a week after a New Yorker piece described People's attempts to convince Pornhub to take down sexually explicit content with minors and non-consensual participants. Mindgeek clarified that the decision, however, wasn't related to the piece.
2. Child porn and human trafficking allegations
The parent company of Pornhub, MindGeek, was accused by global legal firm Brown Rudnick LLP of engaging in federal racketeering activity by exploiting non-consensual content.
“Put simply, a central element of the business plan that the MindGeek used to become the dominant online pornography company in the world was the maximum use of non-consensual content. That business plan worked. And the Mindgeek defendants got rich,” the complaint states.
In the case, around 34 women are identified by name or as Jane Doe. While some women claim to be victims of adult sex trafficking, others claim to be victims of child sex trafficking. In response to the accusations, Pornhub claimed that they have no tolerance for unlawful content and criticized the victims' attorney, saying he was fighting a holy battle against permissible pornography.
3. Instagram takes down Pornhub's account
Instagram shut down Pornhub's verified social media account in September 2022. The adult site's account had more than 6,200 posts, 13.1 million followers, and non-pornographic videos and photographs before it was deleted. It did, however, "directly [promote] pornography," according to Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, which pushed Instagram to delete Pornhub's account.
4. Visa and Mastercard stop supporting Pornhub
The payment privileges of TrafficJunky, the advertising business of MindGeek, were suspended by Visa and Mastercard in August 2022. The developments came a week after a judge rejected Visa's plea to be dismissed from a lawsuit where MindGeek is accused of distributing child pornography. The lawsuit also claimed that Visa deliberately made it possible for MindGeek to make money from it. “We have made it clear that acquirers and merchants who are unable to meet our standards and requirements are not welcome on our network,” Visa CEO Alfred Kelly said in a statement.
Following Visa, Mastercard also suspended TrafficJunky from its network. “New facts from last week’s court ruling made us aware of advertising revenue outside of our view that appears to provide Pornhub with indirect funding,” the company said. “We have zero tolerance for illegal activity on our network. We will continue to follow this case and take further action, as necessary.”
5. YouTube bans Pornhub over 'multiple violations'
Owing to "multiple violations" of YouTube's Community Guidelines, Pornhub's YouTube channel was blocked in December 2022. The rule in question pertains to links to other websites that host content that is not permitted on YouTube. At the time of writing, it is not possible to view Pornhub Official, the porn giant's YouTube channel. It had about 900,000 subscribers before it was shut down. “We enforce our policies equally for everyone, and channels that repeatedly violate or are dedicated to violative content are terminated," YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon said.
However, MindGeek claims that there were no links to porn on Pornhub's YouTube account. The company added that because "performers and sex workers are marginalized groups who rely on social media to communicate with fans," it sees this as an instance of "discrimination against those in the adult industry."
The upcoming Netflix documentary 'Moneyshot : The Pornhub Story' will release this March.