Pornhub Implements Age and Consent Verification to Address Exploitation Claims, US

Following hundreds of lawsuits accusing Pornhub of child sex abuse, the popular pornographic website has implemented a new policy requiring proof of consent and age for all individuals featured in uploaded videos. The move comes after years of litigation claiming that the platform financially benefits from material depicting minors and promoting sexual abuse. The parent company of Pornhub, Aylo, has faced allegations of profiting from pornographic videos without verifying the subjects’ permission or age. In an email obtained by 404 Media, Pornhub announced the new regulation, which went into effect on Tuesday, requiring verification of age and consent for every person appearing in an uploaded video. The purpose of this policy change, according to the company, is to create a safer platform for content creators and users. However, Laila Mickelwait, founder of Traffickinghub, criticized the update, asserting that it is too little, too late, and highlighting that any previously uploaded videos lacking age and consent verification will remain on the site. Mickelwait demanded the removal of all such videos and reiterated the need for Pornhub to be held accountable for distributing and profiting from illicit content. The scrutiny on Pornhub intensified after a 2020 New York Times report accused the site of hosting content involving child sex abuse. In response, Pornhub removed millions of videos, including 118 verified cases of child sex abuse, and implemented new guidelines. The parent company, Aylo, admitted in federal court in December that it had profited from sex trafficking, leading to a three-year period of monitoring and significant financial penalties. Aylo faced charges of hosting pornographic videos and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions with websites involved in sex trafficking. GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys, two such websites, were ultimately shut down. Prosecutors alleged that Aylo should have known that the individuals in the videos had not given their consent, and several women complained about being deceived and having videos uploaded without their permission. Aylo terminated its partnership with GirlsDoPorn in 2019 and deleted the problematic content in December 2020. Despite the policy change, critics argue that Pornhub must face broader accountability and be taken down entirely.