At least 34 alleged victims of sexual exploitation, including minors, sued Pornhub and its parent company MindGeek, claiming that the website earned profits from videos depicting non-consensual sexual content.
Apart from minors, the list included victims of rape and human trafficking, CNN reported.
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The civil complaint alleged that MindGeek, one of the largest online pornography companies, is a “classic criminal enterprise”. Its business stricture is created to monetise non-consensual sexual content. However, CNN reported that Pornhub has denied the allegations.
As per CNN, MindGeek owns over 100 pornographic websites, production companies. It encompasses brands including Pornhub, RedTube, Tube8 and YouPorn.
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The lawyers said that the company gains 3.5 billion views per month.
Michael Bowe, the lawyer representing the alleged victims, said that the online pornography industry has operated like an old-school red-light district of commerce.
“…where rules that do apply and should be applied haven’t been applied. This is a case about rape, not pornography,” CNN quoted Bowe as saying.
One anonymous plaintiff said that Pornhub ruined her life. “It is time for the companies and individuals who have profited off of non-consensual and illegal content to be held liable for their crime,” CNN quoted the plaintiff as saying.
“I joined the lawsuit because I seek justice for myself and the countless victims who don’t come forward.”
Talking about the suit, Pornhub, in a statement to CNN, said that they are reviewing and investigating the claims.
“The allegations in today’s complaint that Pornhub is a criminal enterprise that traffics women and is run like ‘The Sopranos’ are utterly absurd, completely reckless and categorically false,” Pornhub said about the lawsuit, CNN reported.
The lawyers representing the women said that he hopes that the case will be “a watershed moment” for the online pornography industry.
This the latest in series of allegations against Pornhub. A couple of months back, a column in the NYT accused the site of displaying child pornography.