Adult movie stars say defunding Pornhub has affected their livelihood

Following Pornhub being accused of “infested” with child abuse and rape-related videos, credit card giants Visa, Mastercard and Discover blocked all payments to the adult site. However, several adult movie stars have since then not only put their livelihoods at risk, but will also not solve the problem of illegal content, reported BBC.

Star Mary Moody, who has launched a campaign raising awareness about the consequences of the decision said, “I personally stand to lose thousands each month, but I want to spotlight the many workers who will be losing the income they rely on for survival, especially during the pandemic.”

Also read: Following uproar, Pornhub removes millions of unverified videos

Following an article that highlighted the illicit content in the website, Pornhub made several changes such as banning downloads and deleting all content by unverified users. 

While these changes were demanded by stars for years, as they help to fight piracy, the credit card suspension has made it impossible for stars to receive payments or tips on the website.

Moody said, “Pornhub is the largest platform we have access to, by number of viewers and name recognition.”

She added, “It comes at the top of Google searches for pretty much any industry worker.”

Another star, Cara Vega said, “I’ve made $34 (£25) in Pornhub in December, which is not a lot. There’s not a lot you can do about it, which makes you feel really helpless.”

She added, “I have friends who are considering leaving the business as a whole, just because Pornhub was such a big source of income.”