Businesses have responded to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in different ways. Some have had to shut down completely, some have developed clever ways of continuing to serve their clientele, and Pornhub, one of the biggest porn sites, has begun offering its premium streaming platform for free across the globe.

Unfortunately, there is a downside: indeed, some critics are voicing their concerns that this may contribute to a rise in instances of human sex trafficking and exploitation.

Pornhub has been criticized for allegedly hosting images and videos of sexual abuse and child rape on its site, and failing to remove this content, though Pornhub continues to deny these claims.

Pornhub was visited 42 billion times in 2019 alone, and offers free access to porn videos with no age restrictions.

A petition on change.org called “Shut Down Pornhub and Hold Its Executives Accountable for Aiding Trafficking” has so far garnered more than 660,000 signatures. Critics of the platform and its parent company, MindGeek, say that Pornhub allows videos featuring human sex trafficking victims to be uploaded and streamed on its site. Though the company continues to deny these allegations, and says it has safeguards in place to identify, take down, and respond to these kinds of videos, some say that this exploitation continues regardless.

“Pornhub has no reliable system in place to verify that those in the videos it hosts are not trafficked children being raped on film in order to line the pockets of its executives,” the group Exodus Cry wrote in the petition.

Pornhub already offers a basic streaming service available for free, but amid this ongoing criticism, the company has responded to the coronavirus pandemic by making its premium streaming service free globally.

“Pornhub…will offer Pornhub Premium to the entire world in an effort to encourage the importance of staying home and practicing social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said a Pornhub spokesperson in a statement.

Since Pornhub opened up its top streaming service, it has seen a significant spike in use—including a 57 percent spike in Italy, the European country hit the hardest so far by coronavirus, as well as a 38 percent increase in France and 61 percent in Spain.

This increased traffic to the site has raised further concerns about increased trafficking and exploitation on the site, especially as people may be rushing to capitalize on the increased traffic to the site.

Pornhub, owned by MindGeek, denies allegations of knowingly hosting content with sexual abuse or trafficking victims.

“The measures we take make us far more regulated than any other major user generated platform,” said a spokesperson for Pornhub.

“Any allegation that we aren’t taking this seriously is categorically false.”

Have Illegal Images and Videos Been Found on Pornhub?

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is an organization that identifies and removes images and videos of child sexual abuse online, and said that between 2017 and 2019, it found 118 cases of child abuse on Pornhub. However, IWF notes that this number is low, and that Pornhub quickly responded by removing the content.

“Everyday sites that you and I might use as social networks or other communications tools, they pose more of an issue of child sexual abuse material than Pornhub does,” said IWF spokesperson Emma Hardy.

In March, GOP Sen. Ben Sassee wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking that it investigate Pornhub and MindGeek over “their involvement in this disturbing pipeline of exploiting children and other victims and survivors of sex trafficking.” This letter comes after a few publicized cases of human sex trafficking involving exploitation on Pornhub’s streaming platform.

“These publicized cases clearly represent just the tip of the iceberg of women and children being exploited in videos on Pornhub,” Sasse wrote. “I applaud the actions that the Department has already undertaken…but Pornhub must not escape scrutiny.”

“Pornhub’s incredible reach has a much darker side than the image of harmless fun that it tries to project,” Sasse wrote. “In several notable incidents over the past year, Pornhub made content available worldwide showing women and girls that were victims of trafficking being raped and exploited.”

Filing a Sex Trafficking Lawsuit

A growing number of victims of human trafficking are now turning to litigation, filing lawsuits against organizations or companies that may have facilitated their trafficking.

If you are a survivor of human trafficking, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by human trafficking, but it can at least offer some kind of compensation, as well as hold those responsible accountable.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

If you were a victim of sex trafficking and forced to work at a truck stop, hotel or motel, night club or other hotel venue, you may be eligible to move forward with a civil investigation against these businesses. This investigation involves a civil case, and is not a criminal case against you or your loved ones.

Top Class Actions is working with experienced human trafficking attorneys who will be informed and sensitive to your situation. Join the fight by filling out the short form on this page. 

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