UN Experts Warn Pornhub Enabling Sexual Exploitation of Women and Girls

The experts stressed that incremental reforms alone will not be sufficient to address systemic exploitation within online pornography ecosystems.

United Nations human rights experts have issued a strong warning over what they describe as the large-scale sexual exploitation of women and girls facilitated and monetized through Pornhub, its parent company Aylo Holdings, and other digital platforms that host user-generated pornographic content.

The experts also raised concerns about the role played by payment processing companies, search engines, and major technology firms in enabling the circulation and profitability of exploitative content online.

In a sharply worded statement, the UN experts said businesses cannot avoid responsibility when their platforms, systems, or financial services contribute to human rights violations.

"A red line must be drawn," the experts said.

"Systems that facilitate and profit from the sexual exploitation of women and girls cannot merely be regulated at the margins, they must be fundamentally confronted."

Concerns Over User-Generated Pornography Platforms

The UN experts warned that platforms allowing user-uploaded pornographic material without effective age and consent verification systems create serious risks of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.

In addition to Pornhub, the experts pointed to broader concerns involving other online platforms such as:

• Xvideos

• X.com

• Other user-generated pornography sites

According to the experts, the lack of reliable verification systems enables the upload and distribution of non-consensual and exploitative material involving both adults and minors.

The experts stressed that exploitation is not limited to the content itself but is intensified through:

• Platform monetization systems

• Advertising revenue

• Search engine promotion

• Financial payment networks

• Increased online traffic generated by tech companies

Calls for Action by the United States and Canada

The experts urged both the United States and Canada to take stronger legal action against Aylo Holdings, the parent company behind Pornhub.

Specifically, they called on governments to require:

• Independent third-party age verification

• Consent verification for all individuals depicted

• Stronger platform accountability measures

• Faster removal of abusive material

• Enhanced content moderation systems

The experts noted that while Canada responded to their concerns by acknowledging the need to modernize private-sector privacy laws and strengthen accountability for harmful online content, no response was received from the United States Government.

Aylo Holdings is headquartered in Canada, while many legal proceedings and investigations connected to the platform have taken place in the United States.

Victims Forced to "Chase Their Own Abuse"

One of the most serious concerns raised by the experts involves the burden placed on victims attempting to remove non-consensual or exploitative content from online platforms.

According to the statement, victims often face repeated failures when reporting abusive material, with content remaining online despite numerous complaints and removal requests.

"This creates a system in which victims are forced to chase their own abuse," the experts said.

"They are constantly retraumatized, even many years after the initial abuse, while abusive material continues circulating."

The experts argued that placing responsibility on victims rather than platforms contributes to ongoing psychological harm and reinforces systemic failures in online safety and accountability.

Demand for Binding Global Regulations

The UN experts called for urgent binding regulations governing Pornhub and other digital pornography platforms.

Recommended measures include:

• Mandatory third-party age verification

• Mandatory consent verification for all individuals depicted

• Stronger monitoring and moderation systems

• Immediate removal of abusive and violent content

• Enhanced protections for children and vulnerable individuals

• Greater accountability for companies profiting from exploitative material

The experts emphasized that these measures should apply to all user-generated pornography platforms and not only to selected companies.

Aylo Removed Millions of Videos After Legal Pressure

The experts acknowledged that Aylo has taken some steps in recent years to improve platform safeguards.

However, they stressed that these changes occurred only after significant public pressure, legal action, and investigations.

According to the statement:

• More than 25 lawsuits were filed against Pornhub and related entities

• The U.S. Federal Trade Commission also took action

• Pornhub removed over 50 million unverified images and videos since 2020

The experts said the scale of the removals demonstrates the extent of previously unverified and potentially exploitative content hosted on the platform.

"Aylo's response makes clear that the company cannot credibly dispute its longstanding conduct in globally distributing and monetising the traumatic exploitation of victims on Pornhub," the experts stated.

Criticism of U.S. Deferred Prosecution Agreement

The UN experts also criticized the United States Government's handling of criminal proceedings involving Aylo Holdings.

In December 2023, U.S. prosecutors reached a deferred prosecution agreement with Aylo.

Under the agreement:

• Aylo agreed to pay financial penalties

• Compensation would be provided to selected victims

• External monitoring would continue for three years

If the company complies with the terms, criminal charges are expected to be dismissed in 2026 without any formal conviction being entered.

The experts warned that this approach risks reinforcing corporate impunity.

"The contrast is stark: individuals are imprisoned for trafficking, whilst the corporate entity that enabled and knowingly profited from the criminal enterprise on a large scale avoids conviction," the experts said.

Financial Networks and Technology Companies Under Scrutiny

The UN experts confirmed they have also been communicating with major financial institutions and technology companies connected to Pornhub's operations.

These include:

Payment Networks

• Mastercard

• Visa

Technology and Internet Companies

• Google LLC

• Meta

• Microsoft Corporation

The experts said these companies play important roles in driving traffic, monetization, and payment processing for online pornography platforms.

Human rights advocates increasingly argue that corporations providing financial or technological infrastructure for exploitative platforms should also face stronger accountability obligations.

Growing Global Debate Over Online Platform Responsibility

The warning comes amid increasing international debate over the responsibilities of digital platforms in preventing abuse, trafficking, exploitation, and harmful online content.

Governments and human rights organizations around the world are facing growing pressure to strengthen regulations covering:

• Online pornography platforms

• Child safety protections

• Digital consent verification

• Artificial intelligence-generated content

• Platform accountability

• Financial facilitation of harmful content

The rapid growth of user-generated platforms has raised complex legal and ethical questions about corporate responsibility, free expression, online safety, and human rights protections.

UN Experts Call for Fundamental Change

The experts stressed that incremental reforms alone will not be sufficient to address systemic exploitation within online pornography ecosystems.

Instead, they argued for a broader transformation in how governments, technology companies, financial institutions, and digital platforms regulate and monitor harmful content.

They urged countries to adopt coordinated legal frameworks capable of protecting women, children, and vulnerable individuals from online exploitation while ensuring stronger corporate accountability.

According to the experts, urgent action is needed to prevent digital systems from continuing to profit from abuse and human rights violations on a global scale.