Recently the adult content platform, PornHub, announced sweeping changes to be implemented across their site.
The changes come in the wake of a investigation by New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof, earlier this month detailing the website’s hosting, distribution, monetisation, and profiting off of videos and images which show the rape and abuse of women and children. This piece, and, more likely, the massive public outrage it evoked, prompted both Mastercard and Visa to no longer allow their cards to be used on the website.
The changes Pronhub has adopted include preventing downloads of videos, increased and improved moderation, and, most crucially, only letting verified accounts to upload videos. (For those of us who don’t frequent the site, this is equivalent to Twitter only allowing blue-check accounts to Tweet).
The platform deserves absolutely no trust, considering their past and ongoing immoral actions, but, to their credit, they did pull down over 10 million videos which were posted by anonymous and unverified users. They also banned the unverified users from uploading videos in the future.
The purpose was to put an end to the spread of illegal content, rape videos, voyeurism, videos and images of people that have been kidnapped, trafficked and/or are minors. Removing the download video feature will hopefully put an end to videos and images being reshared after removal. Unfortunately, it is probable that, like YouTube (which has implemented similar changes), there will be other ways of downloading videos from the website.
The increased and improved moderation is the most vague of the changes that were announced and it’s unsure how or even if this change will really do anything. The most important change, ending uploads from everyone except verified accounts, will do the most to prevent illegal content.
Verified accounts include porn studios, professional performers, and amateur performers that are affiliated with PornHub’s model program. This means that not just anyone can create a free account and post videos or images—which hopefully will protect the victims of abuse.
These changes have been much celebrated, and for good reason. PornHub has been distributing and profitting off of horendous sex crimes for years and years. So, while I am staunchly conservative in my values about sex, and would prefer to see the site and all like it consigned to the dustbin of history, I think it is something to be thankful for that the most famous and influential porn site in the world has taken some action to end the most disgusting and abusive side of their morally bankrupt industry.
But it is not enough.
Yes, the worst thing that this wretched industry does is motivate sex trafficking, child abuse, and sexual assault and rape, but another major impact is the number of children that are stumbling across, searching for, and consuming this content.
Countless studies show that watching porn damages a person’s future sex life, marriage life, their view of healthy relationships, and their view of sexual partners (especially men’s view of women). A person who watches porn is more likely to lose their virginity younger, cheat on their spouse, have one night stands, blame victims for being raped, etc.
And while it is legally difficult, maybe impossible, and questionable whether it is even right for federal government to ban pornography and their adult citizens’ access to it, due to the First Amendment, it is entirely within the bounds of reason that our government starts to protect minors from this harmful content. We don’t let children buy alcohol or tobacco or firearms, and we don’t let children drive or gamble.
It is unconscionable that we don’t protect children from viewing pornography. A minor cannot buy a Playboy or Hustler magazine at a store, but they can go online and, with no barriers, find HD videos of hardocore porngraphy.
Some pornography websites request a confirmation that the user is above 18, however this is just to protect the website and not children. It’s as easy to get through as clicking a button that says, “Yes, I’m Over 18.” Most sites don’t even have that; a child can open PornHub just as easily as YouTube or Wikipedia.
PornHub’s move to make their platform safer, even if it is only motivated by a fear of lost profit, is something to be glad for. Hopefully less victims will suffer because of it.
But we must continue working to protect minors from this harm, it is morally indefensible that we continue to allow children to access such content so easily.
Keegan Nazzari
Keegan is currently studying a Poli-Sci and Communications degree at The University of Western Australia. He was born and raised in Perth but hopes to relocate to the U.S. after his degree to pursue a career in political media. Other than discussing politics Keegan hopes to inform Americans about the true greatest sport in the world, Aussie Rules football.
The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Lone Conservative staff.
@Keegan_Nazzari