The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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SALT LAKE CITY — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection have reached a proposed settlement with Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, requiring the company to pay $5 million in civil penalties and commit to ongoing compliance measures.
Filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, the stipulated order resolves allegations that Aylo engaged in deceptive and unfair practices by failing to adequately prevent the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and nonconsensual material (NCM) on its platforms, despite claiming such content was strictly prohibited. Regulators cited occurrences largely predating 2021, prior to Aylo’s 2023 acquisition by Ethical Capital Partners, which rebranded the company and introduced reforms.
Under the agreement, Aylo will pay $5 million, with an additional $10 million in penalties suspended contingent on compliance. The company also agreed to biennial third-party compliance audits for the next decade. The measures outlined in the settlement — including age verification for uploaders and performers, consent verification, and reporting mechanisms — are already in place at Aylo, according to company representatives.
“Pornhub’s operators turned a blind eye to the proliferation of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children on its sites so it could profit off this exploitation,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Under the order we’re announcing today, Pornhub’s operators will be required to take concrete steps to block this harmful content and ensure that those who appear in videos on their sites are consenting adults.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox praised the settlement, stating he was “grateful to the FTC and our Division of Consumer Protection for their work to safeguard Utah’s children and families.”
Aylo, however, emphasized that the FTC’s allegations are tied to policies predating its current ownership and reforms. “All of the FTC’s complaints stem from 2020 or earlier,” a spokesperson told reporters. “Since that era, Aylo has implemented trust and safety measures that, according to third-party data, place us among the safest platforms on the internet.”
The company added that the settlement does not introduce new obligations beyond its existing measures. “This resolution involved enhancements to existing practices but did not introduce new substantive requirements,” Aylo said. “Aylo maintains a zero-tolerance policy for illegal content, and this agreement underscores our dedication to upholding high standards of trust and safety in the industry.”
The case builds on previous federal oversight, including a deferred prosecution agreement Aylo entered into with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, requiring independent monitoring and restitution tied to the GirlsDoPorn sex trafficking investigation.
