Pornhub Removes Unverified Content After Exploitation Reports

Leading adult entertainment website Pornhub revealed this week that it has initiated the removal of millions of videos submitted by its users. The company, originating in Canada, describes this action as establishing “the most extensive safety measures in the history of user-generated platforms,” and it follows a recent opinion article in The New York Times alleging that the “website contains a significant amount of videos depicting rape.”

Pornhub previously declared last week that it would restrict video uploads to only those users who have been verified. Now, as reported by Motherboard, the platform has temporarily disabled access to all videos not originating from its established partners or participants in its Model program. This content will undergo examination by Pornhub personnel in the coming year.

The platform emphasized in a public statement that the new system represents a particularly stringent approach among content-sharing services. “This ensures that all content on Pornhub comes from confirmed sources,” the statement reads, “a standard that platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and Twitter have not yet implemented.”

The Times presented accounts—including some direct testimonies—of disturbing instances of exploitation. Nicholas Kristof asserted, “I fail to understand why search engines, financial institutions, or credit card providers should support a business that profits from sexual violence against children or incapacitated individuals.” He further stated, “If PayPal can terminate its relationship with Pornhub, so too can American Express, Mastercard, and Visa.”

Subsequently, major credit card networks responded accordingly. Last week, Discover announced it would cease its association with the service, mirroring earlier decisions made by Mastercard and Visa. This additional pressure likely contributed to Pornhub’s decision to implement even more substantial measures than those initially announced.

In a formal statement, the site acknowledged that the Internet Watch Foundation identified 118 cases of child sexual abuse material on the platform. The service characterized this number as “118 too many.” The company also expressed a belief that it has been unfairly targeted due to the nature of its content.

“It’s evident that Pornhub is being singled out not because of our policies or how we compare to other platforms, but simply because we host adult content,” the service explained. “This mirrors a decades-long pattern of opposition seen with organizations like Playboy, the National Endowment for the Arts, sex education initiatives, LGBTQ rights movements, women’s rights advocates, and even the American Library Association. Currently, that focus has shifted to Pornhub.”