Pornhub Faces Backlash, Changes Policies After NYT Report on Sexual Assault

After Nicholas Kristof with the New York Times published an exposé on internet porn giant Pornhub hosting illegal content, it was forced to change its policies on uploading and content moderation. Will it make a difference?

Summary

A firestorm was set by The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof after his report on Pornhub’s hosting of user content that includes sexual assault of minors.

• The Canada-based internet pornography company was previously facing pressure from Canadian lawmakers last month over the same issue.
• In the past few months, many victims of sexual abuse came forward to tell of how their assault was shared and viewed on internet porn sites like Pornhub.
• A crowdsourced donation fund for the victim in Kristof’s report has raised more than $45,000.
• Tech journal OneZero touches on the problem facing Pornhub and that any web platform hosting user-generated content will deal with issues surrounding content moderation.
• Kristof urged credit card giants Mastercard and Visa to review its relationship with the porn site, which prompted internal investigations at both companies.
• A few days later, Mastercard said its investigation concluded Pornhub was hosting illegal content and it would no longer permit its service to be used.
• Visa said it is continuing its investigation but will suspend usage on the porn hosting site during the investigation.
• As the justified outrage grew, Pornhub reviewed and revised its policies, announcing it will only allow uploaded content from verified users and will restrict users’ ability to download content.
• An op-ed in Newsweek last month discusses the social and public health crisis Pornhub has contributed to, with issues ranging from illegal content to addiction.
• In response to Kristof’s original article, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley led a group of bipartisan senators introduced legislation that expands victims’ ability to sue companies hosting videos of their assault.
• An update from Kristof provided a synopsis of the steps taken by both Pornhub and financial institutions, as well as a warning that while one website has changed their policies, there are many more still hosting illegal content.

• When reporting on the developments after the original NYT report, the Guardian said Pornhub denies there is a “systemic problem” with videos of child abuse on the site.
• The New York Times’ report on Mastercard and Visa severing ties noted that Pornhub has added new payment methods, including cryptocurrencies, a payment technology frequently associated with illicit activities on the dark web.
• The New Republic characterizes the recent controversy as the latest in an alliance between liberals and social conservatives to attack the ability of sex workers to earn a living.
• Similarly, Rolling Stone used its article as an opportunity to criticize Kristof who it says “has a history of misrepresenting issues related to sex work.”

• Alexandra DeSanctis with National Review took some credit for the changes made by Pornhub in response to Kristof’s reporting.
• Fox News’ reporting included quotes from an attorney at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation who said even with changes, the platforms hosting sexually oriented content cannot be trusted.
• Breitbart included information about Pornhub’s promotion of Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd.

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© Dallas Gerber, 2020