The Federal Trade Commission and Utah have ordered the parent company of PornHub to pay a $5 million penalty to host non-consensual and child sexual abuse content.
Last week, a permanent injunction provisional order was filed, with Iro (formerly MindGeek) removing Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), removing proven non-consensual content from the site, implementing a comprehensive prevention policy that is reviewed regularly by third parties, and enhancing privacy and security measures.
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The order also includes an additional $10 million payment to the Utah Consumer Protection Department. However, if the defendant complies with the orders of the FTC, the amount will be suspended.
“PornHub operators have turned their eye on the surge in videos depicting child sexual abuse on the site,” said Christopher Mufarige, director of the FTC’s Consumer Protection Agency. “Under the orders announced today, Pornhub operators should take specific steps to block this harmful content and ensure that those appearing on the website’s videos agree to the adults.”
Several groups have praised the FTC’s orders, including the anti-trafficking organisation Exodus Cry and the National Centre for Sexual Exploitation.
“This settlement mandates massive reforms and we are here for that,” Exodus Cry said in part.
NCOSE called the FTC domination “a victory for all of us.”
“This FTC action represents more than one company’s accountability,” NCOSE said. “It sends a strong message throughout the porn industry that exploitation is not tolerated and examines the experiences of all survivors who have been told their stories are not an issue.”
“Most importantly, this victory proves that when we stand together we can take on a billion dollar industry that will benefit from exploitation and win.”
For years, concerns have been growing about sites like Pornhub. The porn platform blocks access in 17 states that have passed laws requiring an ageing system. Pornhub claims that such requirements violate the privacy rights of potential users.
States with ageing laws are Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
Over the summer, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Texas’ Aging Act, which was “within the limits of state authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content” and “does not directly regulate protected speeches by adults.”
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