Pornhub Parent Company Settles with FTC for $5M Over Inadequate Content Moderation
Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, has agreed to a $5 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of Utah. This settlement stems from allegations that Aylo profited from child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and nonconsensual material (NCM). The company, formerly known as MindGeek, has faced scrutiny for its content moderation practices, particularly after a 2020 exposé revealed significant failures in preventing the upload of illegal content. Despite implementing some changes, the FTC claims that Aylo continued to host illegal material and mishandled consumer data.
Allegations of Data Mismanagement
The FTC’s complaint against Aylo highlights serious concerns regarding the management of personal data. The agency alleges that Aylo failed to adequately disclose how it handled data obtained from a third-party vendor used for verifying the identities of performers. This data, which may include sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and addresses, was reportedly stored indefinitely and not secured properly. The FTC criticized Aylo for not employing standard security measures, such as encryption and access limitations, to protect this data. The company had assured models that their personal information would remain secure, yet it did not follow through on these promises.
Failure to Enforce Content Policies
In addition to data management issues, the FTC claims that Aylo did not effectively enforce its policies against the upload of CSAM. The complaint states that while Aylo promised to ban users who attempted to upload illegal content, the company only restricted these users from creating new accounts with the same username or email address. Furthermore, Aylo had committed to implementing video “fingerprinting” technology to identify and block CSAM uploads. However, the FTC alleges that this technology was ineffective from at least 2017 to August 2021, allowing numerous videos previously flagged as CSAM to be re-uploaded.
Settlement Terms and Future Compliance
As part of the settlement agreement, Aylo has committed to verifying the consent and identity of all individuals appearing in uploaded content. The company is also required to establish new policies and technical measures aimed at preventing the publication of CSAM and NCM. Additionally, Aylo must remove any content that was posted before these new systems are implemented. In a statement, Aylo emphasized that the resolution involved enhancements to existing measures rather than introducing entirely new requirements. To ensure compliance with the settlement, Aylo will undergo independent third-party audits for the next decade. This oversight aims to hold the company accountable for its commitments to improve content moderation and data security practices.
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