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More than 706,000 videos flagged for rape or child assault remained on Pornhub’s platform despite repeated warnings as of May 2020, according to newly uncovered internal documents revealed in a New York Times exposé.
The documents—accidentally disclosed during a federal case in Alabama—expose systemic failures by Pornhub to curb illegal and abusive content, with the company allowing videos of child abuse to remain online, knowingly and repeatedly.
As reported by Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, internal messages showed employees joking about the content. One message read, “I hope I never get in trouble for having those vids on my computer LOOOOL,” while another warned of “A LOT of very, very obvious and disturbing CSAM,” referring to child sexual abuse material.
Despite videos being flagged by users for depicting rape or child assault, company policy reportedly allowed flagged videos to remain online until reported at least 16 times, with some racking up hundreds of millions of views before being removed.
“To me, the documents underscore how primal the pursuit of profits can be and why we should never trust tech companies to police themselves,” wrote Kristof in his May 10 column. “And there’s evidence that suggests that, despite changes in the past few years, Pornhub has not gone far enough in eliminating from the platform videos that appear to be of child rapes.
While Pornhub has since introduced some measures to improve its policies, including download restrictions and expanded content reviews, critics remain skeptical of its commitment to safety.
Earlier this month, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), a federal bill aimed at tightening the legal definition of “obscenity” across state lines.
Co-led by Rep. Mary Miller, R-IL, in the House, the IODA seeks to replace “ambiguity with practical standards to make obscenity identifiable,” empowering law enforcement to take action against illegal online pornography.
“Obscenity isn’t protected by the First Amendment, but hazy and unenforceable legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children,” said Lee. “Our bill updates the legal definition of obscenity for the internet age so this content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted.”
The IODA defines obscenity as content that “appeals to prurient interest,” depicts or describes sexual acts with the intent to arouse, and “lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
Beyond federal action, several states have recently enacted laws requiring users to verify their age before accessing pornography online.
One such law in Texas, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023, is now under Supreme Court review after the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), a pro-pornography group, sued. The group claimed that the child protection law violates First Amendment rights.
The Court heard oral arguments in January, with a ruling expected early July.
Meanwhile, Christian advocacy groups are amplifying calls for reform.
In a May 27 article, the Gospel Coalition, a network of evangelical Christian churches and leaders, described pornography as a “public health crisis.”
“This isn’t just about one company. It’s about an entire ecosystem,” the article states. “The modern pornography industry isn’t built on free expression but on the illegal commodification of human beings. It relies on anonymity, impunity, and a legal vacuum in which abuse thrives.”
