Johannesburg – Pornhub released a statement this week stating that they are improving their security which will prevent users from uploading non-consensual content, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and any other content that lacks the consent of all parties depicted on Pornhub and other MindGeek websites.
They said are expanding their human moderation team, will have an upcoming transparency report, and are introducing biometric technology to verify users who upload videos.
These new measures come on the heels of the Pornhub’s recent unprecedented step of banning content from unverified uploaders.
In December, the adult site saw 80 percent of their content being deleted, all from unverified users, after being accused of hosting child sexual abuse material.
The statetment says these new measures were adopted in conjunction with an independent review conducted by Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP of the company’s content compliance program.
They said they are working to implement changes in the following areas: content standards, content uploading and review processes, content removal and user exclusion, partnerships, relationships with law enforcement and NGOs, and wellness and harm reduction.
“We have been retained to conduct an independent review of MindGeek’s content compliance function with a focus on eliminating all non-consensual content, child sexual abuse material and any other content uploaded without the meaningful consent of all parties from Pornhub and other MindGeek websites,” said Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP.
Only verified are now able to upload content to Pornhub and other MindGeek platforms. This includes studio content partners and those who have been verified within the Model Program.
“Anyone seeking verification within the Model Program must confirm their identity with Yoti, the leading digital identity verification solution, by providing a current photo and government-approved identification document. Yoti will check the validity of the ID document and match the user’s ID document to their photo using secure biometric technology. This verification process will serve as an added layer of protection in Pornhub’s uploader verification system,” reads the statement.
They have also removed the ability for visitors to download content, with the exception of paid downloads from verified users in the Model Program who have provided express consent to having their content downloaded.
“In tandem with fingerprinting technology, this will mitigate the ability for content that has been removed from the platform to return.”
Pornhub and all MindGeek platforms also have a live content audit team who will monitor the platforms for potentially illegal material.
“This team provides an extra layer of protection on top of the existing protocol, proactively screening content already uploaded for potential violations and identifying any breakdowns in the moderation process. Additionally, while the list of banned keywords on Pornhub is already extensive, the company continues to identify additional keywords for removal on an ongoing basis. They also regularly monitor search terms within the platform for increases in phrasings that attempt to bypass the safeguards in place. Pornhub’s content moderation includes an extensive team of human moderators dedicated to manually reviewing every single upload, a thorough system for flagging, reviewing and removing illegal material, robust parental controls, and utilization of a variety of automated detection technologies.”
Pornhub said they have also partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to transparently report and eliminate the potential presence of any CSAM on its platforms.
“In early 2021, NCMEC will release the total number of reported CSAM incidents on Pornhub, alongside other major social and content platforms. Pornhub will also continue to work with law enforcement globally to report and curb illegal content. Pornhub maintains relationships with more than 40 leading non- profit organizations around the world to effectively and efficiently moderate and report content on its platforms.
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