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GENEVA — A group of United Nations experts is calling for stronger action against online pornography platforms, raising concerns about what they described as the large-scale exploitation of women and girls through sites operated by Aylo Holdings, the parent company of Pornhub.
The experts said companies involved in hosting, processing payments for, or directing traffic to such material cannot avoid responsibility when human rights violations occur on their platforms or through their services. “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.”
They urged the governments of the United States and Canada to pursue full prosecution of Aylo and require third-party age and consent verification measures for all user-generated pornography websites. According to the experts, the United States did not provide a response. Canada, meanwhile, said it recognizes the need to “modernize the private sector privacy law” and introduce legislation aimed at holding social media providers accountable for harmful content.
The experts also said they believe similar concerns extend beyond Pornhub. “We are concerned that the abuse reflects a broader pattern on platforms such as Xvideos and X.com, which allow user-generated pornography without reliable age or consent verification,” they said. “Exploitation is further enabled through platform monetisation and the continued involvement of payment networks and search engines.”
Another point raised by the experts involved the burden placed on victims attempting to remove non-consensual content from online platforms. They said material often remained accessible despite repeated complaints and removal requests. “This creates a system in which victims are forced to chase their own abuse. They are constantly retraumatised and, even many years after the initial abuse while abusive material continues circulating,” they said.
The experts called for governments to impose binding requirements on Pornhub and other digital platforms that distribute pornography. “There is an urgent need for States to impose binding measures on Pornhub and other digital platforms distributing pornography,” the experts said. They pointed to measures such as mandatory third-party age and consent verification for all individuals depicted in content, along with stricter moderation and removal procedures for abusive or violent material involving children and adults who did not consent.
At the same time, the experts acknowledged changes Aylo has made in recent years, while arguing those steps followed pressure from lawsuits, victims and regulatory scrutiny. They referenced more than 25 lawsuits and action taken by the Federal Trade Commission. “Collectively, these actions led Pornhub to take down the majority of its content library since 2020, amounting to over 50 million unverified images and videos,” the experts said. “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 also criticized the deferred prosecution agreement reached in December 2023 between Aylo and U.S. prosecutors, arguing it stopped short of full criminal accountability. Under the agreement, Aylo agreed to pay financial penalties and compensation to selected victims and accept outside monitoring for three years. If the company complies with the terms, the charges are expected to be dismissed in 2026 without a conviction being entered.
“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.
According to the statement, the experts have communicated directly with Aylo Holdings and with officials in the United States and Canada. They also said they have been in contact with payment companies previously connected to Pornhub transactions, including Mastercard and Visa, as well as technology companies involved in directing online traffic, including Google, Meta and Microsoft.
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