1143: Laila Mickelwait | Exposing Pornhub's Dark Trafficking Empire

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Apr 22, 2025

Laila Mickelwait, an author and activist, is on a mission to expose the dark side of Pornhub and its connection to sex trafficking. She shares shocking revelations about how the platform profited from illegal content with minimal oversight. Laila discusses her successful tactics, such as pressuring credit card companies, which helped remove 80% of questionable content. With compelling stories, she emphasizes the urgent need for accountability and reform in the adult industry to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.

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ANECDOTE

Horrific Case of Missing Girl

A 15-year-old girl was missing for a year and was found in 58 rape videos on Pornhub.
Her rescue was prompted by a tip from a Pornhub user who recognized her from the videos uploaded without her consent.

INSIGHT

Widespread Illegal Content

Most content on Pornhub was user-generated and unverified, making over 80% potentially illegal.
Pornhub admitted only 1% was confirmed child sexual abuse, but independent investigations showed it was far more widespread.

ANECDOTE

Girls Do Porn Operation

The 'Girls Do Porn' trafficking operation was run by a fugitive who had one of Pornhub's most popular channels.
The victims were trafficked and the operator was arrested and is now being held accountable.

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Big porn sites enabled trafficking for profit. Here, Takedown author Laila Mickelwait shares how her fight against Pornhub led to industry-wide reform.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1143

What We Discuss with Laila Mickelwait:

For over a decade, internet porn content provider Pornhub knowingly profited from illegal content with minimal moderation (10 staff per shift reviewing 700+ videos each) while requiring 15+ flags before review and tracking profits from questionable categories.
Sex trafficking includes deception/coercion in monetized sexual acts. For minors, any commercial sexual exploitation automatically constitutes trafficking regardless of consent.
Financial pressure proved most effective in Laila Mickelwait's crusade against Porhub's shady practices — credit card companies cutting ties forced the company to remove 80% of content overnight, demonstrating how targeting enablers can be as effective as targeting perpetrators.
Third-party age and consent verification for everyone in every video would prevent most exploitation while protecting privacy.
Strategic activism works — Laila succeeded by gathering evidence, building coalitions with victims and experts, and applying targeted pressure despite threats and harassment. Her example shows that determined individuals can challenge harmful systems by identifying pressure points and maintaining focus on accountability.
And much more...

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