Pornhub was hosting videos of minors and trafficking victims — what's next?
Apr 21, 2023
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Laila Mickelwait and Nicholas Kristof discuss the presence of child pornography and trafficking victims' videos on Pornhub, leading to investigations, lawsuits, and efforts to combat exploitation in the porn industry. They address the complexity of consent, the weak enforcement of obscenity laws, ongoing litigation faced by Twitter and Pornhub, and victories in advocating against sexual exploitation.
The podcast discusses the presence of child pornography and videos of trafficking victims on Pornhub, leading to actions such as content deletion and companies cutting ties with the site.
The episode highlights the need for meaningful age and consent verification in pornography, emphasizes the disingenuousness of claims about consensual porn, and calls for a shift in societal views on the industry.
Deep dives
The Exploitation on Pornhub and Efforts to Stop It
The podcast episode discusses the issue of exploitation on Pornhub, highlighting the presence of child pornography, videos of trafficking victims, and non-consensual content on the site. The episode mentions the petition and campaign called Traffickinghub, as well as Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Christoff's exposé on the topic. It also mentions the Canadian Parliament's investigation into MindGeek, the company that owns Pornhub. Haley McNamara, Director of the International Center on Sexual Exploitation, talks about the work of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and their efforts to address exploitation in porn, both through public and private policies. She discusses their corporate advocacy work, including meetings with major tech companies, their Dirty Dozen list which names contributors to sexual exploitation, and their lawsuits against companies like Twitter and Pornhub. The episode also explores the lack of age and consent verification for people depicted in pornographic content and the role of social media platforms in hosting explicit material.
The Problem with Porn on Social Media
The podcast episode addresses the issue of pornography on social media platforms, highlighting the ease with which children can access explicit content. It discusses the presence of abusive and non-consensual content on platforms like Twitter and Reddit, and the failure of these platforms to ban or regulate such material. The episode mentions the need for meaningful age and consent verification for people depicted in porn and the efforts to push for legislation like the Protect Act. It also mentions the documentary Money Shot, which focuses on the accusations of trafficking and exploitation on Pornhub, and highlights the lack of survivor voices in the documentary. The episode emphasizes the disingenuousness of claims that most porn is consensual, and highlights the difficulties in determining consent in the industry. It also addresses the racist tropes present in pornography and the need for a shift in societal views on the industry.
Legal Accountability and Laws Regarding Pornography
The podcast episode discusses the legal landscape around pornography in the US. It highlights the lack of enforcement of obscenity laws and the de facto acceptance of pornography as part of the First Amendment. The episode mentions the challenges faced by the Justice Department in dealing with child sexual abuse material, which limits their capacity to enforce laws against obscenity. It also discusses the lawsuits and investigations against MindGeek, the owner of Pornhub, and the impact of mainstream companies cutting ties with the pornography industry. The episode highlights the importance of legal accountability and the need for regulatory measures to safeguard against exploitation in the industry.
Taking Action Against Exploitation in the Porn Industry
The podcast episode addresses the question of what individuals can do to combat the exploitation in the porn industry. It suggests reading and educating oneself about the issue, as well as engaging in conversations with friends and raising awareness. The episode also mentions specific actions that can be taken, such as signing petitions calling for age and consent verification on platforms like Pornhub, and participating in initiatives like the Dirty Dozen list that targets mainstream contributors to sexual exploitation. It emphasizes the need for collective action and the potential for significant shifts in societal views and regulations surrounding the industry.
In February 2020, Laila Mickelwait, Exodus Cry’s Director of Abolition at the time, published an op-ed titled, “Time to Shut Pornhub Down,” bringing attention to the fact that Pornhub was hosting child pornography and videos of trafficking victims on the site. This sparked a petition and accompanying campaign, Traffickinghub. Then, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Nicholas Kristof, published a scathing exposé in the New York Times, titled, “The Children of Pornhub," leading the company to leap to action, deleting 80% of their content overnight — about 10 million videos. Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cut ties with the site. In 2021, Canadian parliament began to investigate the Canadian-based company that owns Pornhub, MindGeek and a number of lawsuits were filed against the company on behalf of survivors. NCOSE — the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation — filed several of these lawsuits, representing victims seeking justice against MindGeek. NCOSE was featured in a documentary released on Netflix last money, purporting to address the scandal, called Money Shot.
In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Haley McNamara, Director of the International Centre on Sexual Exploitation in the UK and a Vice President at the U.S. based National Center on Sexual Exploitation, about the situation at Pornhub, the Netflix documentary, and NCOSE’s efforts to stop exploitation in porn.
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