Adult content giant Pornhub has announced a “suspension” of content uploaded by unverified users, as the site faces confusion over claims of turning a blind eye to child abuse, rape and pornography videos. of revenge.
The pressure has mounted since the New York Times published an article accusing the site of profiting from abusive content, with Visa and Mastercard announcing that they would no longer process payments to Pornhub.
The site was quick to respond, announcing action last week against content uploaded by people who had not been verified, as well as saying Monday that it took action against clips already on the platform.
“As part of our policy to ban unverified uploaders, we have now also suspended all previously uploaded content that was not created by content partners or members of the Model Program,” the site said in a statement, referring to verification of the ages of people. in videos.
“This means that every piece of content on Pornhub comes from verified uploaders, a requirement that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter have yet to establish,” he added.
In the future, only content partners and people who earn ad revenue from their videos will be able to upload to the site, and a new user verification process will be implemented next year.
The Times article states that of the 6.8 million new videos posted on the site each year, “many” show “child abuse and non-consensual violence,” including scenes of incest and women suffocated in plastic bags.
Based in Canada, but registered in Luxembourg, Pornhub had 42 billion views last year and generates revenue through advertising and paid subscriptions for premium content.
The company is not new to controversies.
In 2019, several groups, including Unilever and Kraft Heinz, distanced themselves from Pornhub after an article in Britain’s Sunday Times identified videos with sexual content involving children.
“It is clear that the goal of Pornhub is not due to our policies and how we compare ourselves to our peers, but because we are an adult content platform,” the site said in its statement.
The Canadian government has announced that it will propose legislation in 2021 to force online platforms to remove any illegal content.
[AFP]
