503. One Woman’s War on P*rnhub | Laila Mickelwait
Dec 2, 2024
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Laila Mickelwait, founder and CEO of the Justice Defense Fund, passionately advocates against sex trafficking and the exploitation enabled by Pornhub. She reveals troubling connections between adult content and trafficking, stressing the need for accountability in the industry. Their conversation explores the psychological impacts of graphic content on youth and the challenges of severing financial ties with Pornhub. Laila shares her personal journey of activism, urging society to confront the dark realities of online pornography and support meaningful change.
Laila Mickelwait emphasizes the urgent need for legal and technological safeguards to combat the illegal activities prevalent on Pornhub.
The #Traffickinghub movement showcases a global collective outrage against Pornhub for its complicity in sex trafficking and child abuse.
Widespread pornography consumption dramatically alters societal norms and perceptions of sexuality, raising concerns about its impact on future generations.
Deep dives
Lila's Mission Against Pornhub
Lila Micklewaite has dedicated herself to combating the pervasive issues of sex trafficking and child exploitation associated with the porn industry, especially targeting Pornhub and its parent company, MindGeek. Her campaign, which began over a decade ago, has gained traction as she uncovered the alarming connections between mainstream pornography and various forms of sexual abuse. With 170 million visits daily at its peak, Pornhub drew attention for its facilitation of illegal content, including child sexual abuse and non-consensual material. Through her efforts, Lila has amassed over 2.3 million signatures on a petition urging the shutdown of Pornhub, highlighting the collective outrage and the need for accountability in the industry.
The Scale of the Problem
The porn industry's impact is profound, with statistics indicating that Pornhub alone had 62 billion visits in a single year, hosting an astronomical amount of user-generated content. Lila emphasizes that this massive scale facilitates the distribution of illegal and non-consensual material, which can have devastating effects on the victims involved. Notably, investigations have revealed that illegal videos, including those of children as young as three, could be found on the site within minutes. This gives credence to the idea that Pornhub functions more as a crime scene than a legitimate entertainment platform, necessitating a serious reassessment of the regulatory framework governing online pornography.
Investigative Discovery
Lila's personal investigation into Pornhub's upload system provided shocking revelations about how easily illegal content could bypass any vetting process. After uploading a video featuring only a rug and keyboard, she found it was live on the site in under ten minutes, demonstrating a complete lack of moderation. This prompted her to conclude that the site was infested with videos depicting real sexual crimes, solidifying her belief that the porn industry was complicit in the distribution of such material. By bringing these insights to light, she holds the industry accountable for neglecting its responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals.
Cultural Consequences of Pornography
The conversation extends to the cultural ramifications of widespread pornography consumption, which desensitizes viewers and alters their perceptions of sexuality. The discussion touches on how escalating exposure to increasingly graphic and violent content can influence individuals' sexual preferences and experiences, reshaping societal norms. This cultural shift is evidenced by declining birth rates and increasing rates of virginity among youth in various countries, correlating with heavy internet porn consumption. Over time, the normalization of violent sexual depictions could lead to significant societal and relational changes, raising concerns about a generation's evolving understanding of intimacy.
The Push for Accountability
Holding companies like Pornhub accountable necessitates a multi-faceted approach, including legal enforcement and technological verification measures. Lila advocates for mandatory age verification and content moderation to prevent illegal uploads, arguing that existing laws should be enforced to protect victims. The financial ecosystem surrounding Pornhub also plays a crucial role, as pressure from credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard significantly impacted its operations after evidence of illegal content surfaced. Through collective efforts and activism, Lila aims not only to dismantle Pornhub's business model but also to foster safer online environments and empower victims of sexual exploitation.
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with CEO of the Justice Defense Fund, Laila Mickelwait. They discuss her ongoing efforts against the largest adult content platform in the world, their shady dealings with credit card companies, top-down refusal of proper moderation, potential safeguards which would benefit performers, and how anonymity fuels psychopathy on the internet.
Laila Mickelwait is the founder and CEO of the Justice Defense Fund and the founder of the global #Traffickinghub movement supported by millions around the world. She has been combating the crime of sex trafficking since 2006 and is a leading expert in the field. The Traffickinghub movement that Laila continues to lead is a decentralized global effort to hold Pornhub accountable for enabling and profiting from child abuse, sex trafficking, rape, and the criminal exploitation of countless victims. Traffickinghub has earned hundreds of millions of views on social media, and the petition to shut down Pornhub has been signed by over 2.3 million people from every country in the world. 600 organizations have participated in the effort and the impact of the movement has been covered globally in thousands of media pieces.
This episode was recorded on August 20th, 2024
| Links |
For Laila Mickewait:
Purchase Laila’s book “Takedown: Inside The Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape and Trafficking” at Takedownbook.com 100% of author proceeds are donated to the Justice Defense Fund to support the cause https://Takedownbook.com
Learn more about Laila’s organization the Justice Defense Fund at Justicedefensefund.org
Sign the Traffickinghub petition at Traffickinghubpetition.com
On X https://x.com/lailamickelwait
On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lailamickelwait/?hl=en
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