Two hours after I wrote my column on Pornhub’s ongoing panic attack for LifeSiteNews, detailing how politicians in both the U.S. and Canada are finally demanding answers on the orgy of sexual violence and rape unfolding on the platform and corporations cutting ties, the extent of Pornhub’s fear was revealed. According to media reports, Pornhub is taking the unprecedented step of removing massive amounts of material—a clear indication that top executives are terrified right now:
Last week, infamous porn-hosting site Pornhub made a big change by cutting off “unverified” uploads. Now, the company is taking things a step further and has removed all content that wasn’t uploaded by either a “content partner” or a verified user. Overnight, Pornhub has removed millions of uploaded videos — and, according to Vice, the site will start reviewing and verifying that those videos meet its “trust and safety policy.”
This comes after a New York Times report last week highlighted how the site’s lax enforcement of its policies was leading to child exploitation. Other issues linked to the site include scads of revenge porn, or videos uploaded without the consent of people in them. Pornhub didn’t directly address the allegations in the Times report, but the two major changes to the company’s policies over the last week speak volumes.
Millions of videos gone. Advocates and victims have been calling for a move like this over and over again for years, and Pornhub did nothing. But the moment their profit margins are threatened, suddenly all of their “there’s nothing we can do” excuses vanish—along with videos of horrifying sexual violence.
It’s not enough. We need to keep pushing. Pornhub executives need to be prosecuted, and the platform shut down.
