Pornhub sued for allegedly spreading non-consensual sex videos

New York (CNN Business) – Dozens of women sued Pornhub and its parent company on Thursday, arguing that the site knowingly benefited from videos showing rape, child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and other non-consensual sexual content.

The civil suit alleges that Pornhub’s parent company, MindGeek, one of the largest online pornography companies, is a “classic criminal enterprise” with a corporate structure created to monetize the non-consensual sexual content, allegations Pornhub denies.

The lawsuit was filed by Brown Rudnick LLP on behalf of 34 alleged victims of sexual exploitation, rape and human trafficking, including minors, and seeks damages and protection for the plaintiffs.

MindGeek owns more than 100 pornographic websites, production companies and brands such as Pornhub, RedTube, Tube8 and YouPorn. Among its various platforms, the company racks up 3.5 billion views a month, the attorneys said in a press release.

Michael Bowe, the attorney representing the alleged victims, said in a conference call with reporters that the online pornography industry “has operated as an old-school red-light district of commerce in which the laws have not been enforced. rules that do apply and should apply. ‘

“This is a case about rape, not about pornography,” says the complaint.

Women accuse Pornhub of profiting from videos posted without their consent. The lawsuit includes only one named plaintiff, while the other 33 women requested to remain anonymous.

An anonymous plaintiff on the call said a video posted of her on Pornhub ruined her life.

“It is time for companies and individuals who have benefited from non-consensual and illegal content to be held accountable for their crime,” said the plaintiff. “I joined the lawsuit because I seek justice for myself and for the countless victims who do not raise their voices.”

In a statement to CNN Business, Pornhub said it is reviewing and investigating the complaint. Although “it takes seriously all the complaints related to the abuse of its platform, including those of the plaintiffs in this case,” it denies the allegations about the structure of the company.

“The allegations in today’s complaint that Pornhub is a criminal enterprise that traffics in women and is run as ‘The Sopranos’ are totally absurd, completely reckless and downright untrue,” wrote Pornhub.

Bowe said he is hopeful the case will be “a watershed moment” for the online porn industry, which “just hasn’t been under sufficient surveillance,” he said.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of allegations against Pornhub and MindGeek.

In December, Mastercard, Visa and Discover they blocked customers using their credit cards to make purchases on Pornhub after a newspaper column The New York Times accuse the site of displaying child abuse and non-consensual sexual behavior. Pornhub rejected those allegations, calling them “irresponsible and outright false.”

Following this action, Pornhub implemented new security policies on its platform in December. The new policies ensured that only verified users can post to the site, that videos on the site cannot be downloaded, and promised a transparency report, among other changes. In February, the site introduced more verification, moderation, and detection measures.