While a positive step forward, there are major problems with Pornhub’s mediocre new age and consent verification policy. We must not allow this smoke and mirrors to slow down efforts to move them to meaningful change.
Firstly, the verification requirement only applies to videos uploaded from January 24, 2024 onward. Pornhub will NOT be removing unverified videos that were uploaded prior to this date. What this means is that the site is likely still infested with videos of rape, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse, and other forms of image-based sexual abuse, which Pornhub is choosing to continue profiting from.
Secondly, the verification measures required under the new policy are alarmingly weak. Pornhub only requires an ID and signed consent form for co-performers. Without a combination of automated tools and rigorous human moderation, these documents will be easily forged and/or coercively obtained by sex traffickers and abusers. We cannot allow ourselves to be beguiled by these initial measures. They do not constitute meaningful consent or effective age verification.
The assurance of a consent form, bereft of any tangible protective measures, not only fails to discourage those bent on profiting from abuse but also irresponsibly delegates the responsibility of consent to sexual exploiters, who are fundamentally untrustworthy. It only cements Pornhub’s partnership with those who revel in the degradation and exploitation of others.
In its current form, Pornhub’s new policy continues to abdicate the responsibility of safeguarding against the upload of non-consensual sexual content and child pornography. The system will easily be exploited by sex traffickers, voyeurs, child sexual abusers, and jilted ex-boyfriends, and Pornhub knows this.