Pornhub has removed millions of videos following calls to end exploitation on the site.
The pornography website has “suspended all previously uploaded content that was not created by content partners or members of the Model Program,” said Pornhub in a statement posted on Sunday evening.
“Pornhub hosted around 13.5 million videos according to the number displayed on the site's search bar” on Sunday, according to Vice Motherboard. However, “On Monday morning as of 9 a.m., that search bar is showing only 4.7 million videos, meaning Pornhub removed most of the videos on its site, including the most-viewed non-verified amateur video, which had more than 29 million views. That number briefly went back up to 7.2 million, so at the moment it’s unclear how many videos will be removed,” Vice Motherboard reported.
“Amazing what public pressure will do,” tweeted Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “Now Congress should pass my legislation that would make Pornhub liable for all content that is non-consensual or produced through fraud or coercion.”
Pornhub changed its rules following a recent New York Times investigation, which revealed that the website was allegedly “infested” with videos depicting brutal rapes and assaults, even including some victims who are minors.
Last week, Pornhub announced several new site rules it planned to implement. Several of the new site rules, as described by its help center, were actually suggested by Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. “[A]side from limiting immunity so that companies are incentivized to behave better,” Kristof said his proposed rules “would help.”
In addition to only allowing uploads from “Verified Uploaders Only,” Pornhub claimed it would no longer allow downloads and would expand moderation. The site also introduced a “trusted flagger program,” and has partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Pornhub also plans to release a transparency report in 2021 and has brought in a legal team for an independent investigation.
Let’s not forget, however, that it took a scathing report from a nationally recognized newspaper and the threat of a federal investigation in order to get Pornhub to implement these changes.
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