The new owner of Pornhub, Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners, has called on governments to shift their approach towards porn websites. Rather than cracking down on such platforms, the firm believes governments should embrace sexual expression, normalize pornography, and make it “boring,” according to an interview with AFP.
Ethical Capital Partners acquired MindGeek, the parent company of Pornhub, three months ago, which also includes other sites like YouPorn. However, this acquisition has come with a wave of legal troubles. In May, the websites were removed from the state of Utah in the United States after being ordered to verify user ages. In France, discussions have been ongoing between website owners and regulators on how to implement an age verification law from 2020 effectively. Two of MindGeek’s sites are facing a court ruling on July 7 that could potentially lead to a ban as they have not implemented any age verification measures.
Solomon Friedman, the founder of Ethical Capital Partners, expressed a strong stance against having underage users on their websites, emphasizing the need for effective age verification solutions. However, he believes that the responsibility should not solely lie with the websites themselves but rather with the operating systems. He called for device or browser-based verification and suggested that Google and Apple could easily implement such measures, which would protect children without compromising personal data.
MindGeek faced significant pressure in 2020 when The New York Times published allegations of hosting explicit material involving minors. This led to regulatory scrutiny in various countries, and payment processors like Visa and MasterCard ceased processing payments for the company. MindGeek attempted to sell the company for two years, and Ethical Capital Partners, consisting of two lawyers, an ex-police officer, and an Italian investor with a fortune in the legal cannabis industry, eventually took over. They aim to distance themselves from the allegations raised by The New York Times, highlighting significant changes within the company in recent years.
Friedman claimed that eight million pieces of content were removed in 2021, although AFP cannot independently verify this statement. He emphasized that content removal requests automatically result in the removal of the reported content and that the company reviews it afterward. MindGeek has implemented measures such as uploader identification, algorithmic scanning for copyright infringement, and human review processes before content is published on their websites.
According to Friedman, Ethical Capital Partners initially joined MindGeek to ensure compliance with the law but found an exceptional investment opportunity. Despite the challenges faced, they decided to purchase the company due to their specialized skills. Following an initial battle in Louisiana, where MindGeek’s sites remain online due to different regulations that do not require personal information collection, the company faced the Utah exit and now potentially faces withdrawal from France. The issue has gained political attention in France, particularly after President Emmanuel Macron vowed to prioritize protecting children from pornography during his re-election campaign. Digital Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who considers children accessing porn sites a scandal, directly challenged Ethical Capital Partners to explain their compliance with the law. Friedman assured that his firm has reached out to Barrot’s office and intends to produce a report soon, emphasizing their commitment to open and proud discussions about the porn industry.
Friedman believes that society has progressed to a point where sexual expression is increasingly embraced and celebrated. He envisions a future where adult content becomes mundane and unremarkable, similar to how the legalization of cannabis in Canada has become normalized and uninteresting.
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