<p>The new owner of Pornhub and founder of Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners (ECP) believes that governments should stop cracking down on porn websites and instead promote sexual expression while ensuring proper age verification measures are in place.&nbsp;ECP founder Solomon Friedman said adult content will be "boring" similar to (legalised) cannabis, as per AFP news agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ECP acquired MindGeek, the parent company of Pornhub, three months ago, an acquisition that has brought legal troubles along with it.</p>

<p>In France, discussions have been ongoing between website owners and regulators on how to effectively implement an age verification law. The situation remains uncertain, as the political focus on protecting children from pornography has increased.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called on ECP to clarify its compliance strategy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-indias-modi-powers-delhi-cairo-ties-meets-al-sisi-visits-historic-mosque-608482">India's PM Modi conferred with Egypt's highest civilian honour</a></p>

<p>Friedman assured that his company is committed to open and proud discussions about the porn industry, emphasising that society is moving towards normalizing sexual expression, similar to the "boring" perception of legalized cannabis in Canada.</p>

<p>"I think society has moved in the direction where we are proud of sexual expression," he said adding, "The fact that it's adult is going to be boring, just like the fact that (legalised) cannabis in Canada has become boring."</p>

<h2><strong>Legal issues, age verification challenges</strong></h2>

<p>The company also faces legal challenges in Utah and Louisiana due to differing age verification laws.&nbsp;</p>

<p>MindGeek's websites were removed from the US state of Utah in May due to a requirement to verify the ages of users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wagner-rebellion-when-putins-former-chef-served-a-dish-of-treason-ten-points-608452">Wagner rebellion: When Putin’s former favourite chef served a dish of ‘treason’ | 10 points</a></p>

<p>Two of MindGeek's sites, which have yet to implement age verification, face a court ruling on July 7 that could potentially lead to a ban.</p>

<h2><strong>Seeking effective age verification solutions</strong></h2>

<p>Friedman emphasised their commitment to preventing underage users from accessing their websites. However, he believes that the responsibility for age verification should not solely lie with the websites themselves.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch | PM Modi conferred with Egypt's highest state honour in Cairo</strong></p>

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<p>Instead, Friedman suggests that operating systems, such as Google and Apple, should play a role in finding solutions. He supports device or browser-based verification methods that protect children effectively without compromising personal data.</p>

<h2><strong>MindGeek's troubled past&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>MindGeek faced significant challenges in 2020 when The New York Times published allegations of hosting content depicting rapes and sex involving minors on their sites.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This led to regulatory pressures in multiple countries, and major payment processors Visa and MasterCard ceased processing payments for the company.&nbsp;</p>

<p>MindGeek's owners spent two years attempting to sell the company, which has a complex corporate structure across various tax havens with its official headquarters in Luxembourg.</p>

<h2><strong>New ownership's stance, measures</strong></h2>

<p>The new owners of MindGeek, including lawyers, an ex-police officer, and an Italian investor with a background in legal cannabis sales, aim to distance themselves from the previous allegations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Friedman asserted that the company has undergone significant changes in recent years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He claimed that eight million pieces of content were removed in 2021, although this could not be independently verified by AFP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company implements strict measures, such as uploader identification, algorithmic content scanning, and manual review by company staff before content is published.</p>

<p>Initially brought in to ensure legal compliance, ECP recognised the investment potential in MindGeek and decided to acquire the company.&nbsp;</p>

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The new owner of Pornhub and founder of Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners (ECP) believes that governments should stop cracking down on porn websites and instead promote sexual expression while ensuring proper age verification measures are in place.

The new owner of Pornhub and founder of Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners (ECP) believes that governments should stop cracking down on porn websites and instead promote sexual expression while ensuring proper age verification measures are in place. ECP founder Solomon Friedman said adult content will be "boring" similar to (legalised) cannabis, as per AFP news agency. ECP acquired MindGeek, the parent company of Pornhub, three months ago, an acquisition that has brought legal troubles along with it. In France, discussions have been ongoing between website owners and regulators on how to effectively implement an age verification law. The situation remains uncertain, as the political focus on protecting children from pornography has increased. Digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called on ECP to clarify its compliance strategy. Also Read | India's PM Modi conferred with Egypt's highest civilian honour Friedman assured that his company is committed to open and proud discussions about the porn industry, emphasising that society is moving towards normalizing sexual expression, similar to the "boring" perception of legalized cannabis in Canada. "I think society has moved in the direction where we are proud of sexual expression," he said adding, "The fact that it's adult is going to be boring, just like the fact that (legalised) cannabis in Canada has become boring." Legal issues, age verification challenges The company also faces legal challenges in Utah and Louisiana due to differing age verification laws. MindGeek's websites were removed from the US state of Utah in May due to a requirement to verify the ages of users. Also Read | Wagner rebellion: When Putin’s former favourite chef served a dish of ‘treason’ | 10 points Two of MindGeek's sites, which have yet to implement age verification, face a court ruling on July 7 that could potentially lead to a ban. Seeking effective age verification solutions Friedman emphasised their commitment to preventing underage users from accessing their websites. However, he believes that the responsibility for age verification should not solely lie with the websites themselves. Watch | PM Modi conferred with Egypt's highest state honour in Cairo × Instead, Friedman suggests that operating systems, such as Google and Apple, should play a role in finding solutions. He supports device or browser-based verification methods that protect children effectively without compromising personal data. MindGeek's troubled past MindGeek faced significant challenges in 2020 when The New York Times published allegations of hosting content depicting rapes and sex involving minors on their sites. This led to regulatory pressures in multiple countries, and major payment processors Visa and MasterCard ceased processing payments for the company. MindGeek's owners spent two years attempting to sell the company, which has a complex corporate structure across various tax havens with its official headquarters in Luxembourg. New ownership's stance, measures The new owners of MindGeek, including lawyers, an ex-police officer, and an Italian investor with a background in legal cannabis sales, aim to distance themselves from the previous allegations. Friedman asserted that the company has undergone significant changes in recent years. He claimed that eight million pieces of content were removed in 2021, although this could not be independently verified by AFP. The company implements strict measures, such as uploader identification, algorithmic content scanning, and manual review by company staff before content is published. Initially brought in to ensure legal compliance, ECP recognised the investment potential in MindGeek and decided to acquire the company. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Porn platform owner: Society proud of sexual expression, adult content to become 'boring'

<p>Human society is on the verge of collapsing in the next two decades unless there is a major shift in global objectives, according to a recent review of a 1970s research.</p>

<p>A stunning new analysis by a director at one of the world's largest accounting companies has concluded that a renowned, decades-old warning from Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) about the likelihood of industrial civilisation collapsing looks to be accurate.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/warning-of-population-collapse-on-earth-elon-musk-calls-for-colonisation-of-mars-399164"><strong>Also read: Warning of 'population collapse' on Earth, Elon Musk calls for colonisation of Mars &nbsp;</strong></a><br />
<br />
According to a news report published in Vice.com, a group of MIT experts got together in 1972 to research the dangers of civilisation collapse.</p>

<p>Due to over exploitation of planetary resources, their system dynamics model published by the Club of Rome detected looming ‘limits to growth' (LtG), implying that industrial society was on the verge of collapsing sometime in the twenty-first century.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A group of MIT scientists stated in that report, which was published in the bestselling book "The Limits to Expansion" (1972), that industrial civilisation would be doomed if businesses and governments continued to pursue continuous economic growth at any cost.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The researchers proposed 12 future scenarios, the majority of which anticipated that natural resources would become scarce to the point that further economic expansion would be impossible and personal welfare would drop.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The contentious MIT study sparked a firestorm of controversy, and it was widely mocked at the time by pundits who distorted its findings and methods.</p>

<p>However, a report written by a senior director at professional services behemoth KPMG, one of the 'Big Four' accounting companies in terms of global sales, has provided astonishing support for the conclusion.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Human society is on the verge of collapsing in the next two decades unless there is a major shift in global objectives, according to a recent review of a 1970s research.

Human society is on the verge of collapsing in the next two decades unless there is a major shift in global objectives, according to a recent review of a 1970s research. A stunning new analysis by a director at one of the world's largest accounting companies has concluded that a renowned, decades-old warning from Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) about the likelihood of industrial civilisation collapsing looks to be accurate. Also read: Warning of 'population collapse' on Earth, Elon Musk calls for colonisation of Mars According to a news report published in Vice.com, a group of MIT experts got together in 1972 to research the dangers of civilisation collapse. Due to over exploitation of planetary resources, their system dynamics model published by the Club of Rome detected looming ‘limits to growth' (LtG), implying that industrial society was on the verge of collapsing sometime in the twenty-first century. A group of MIT scientists stated in that report, which was published in the bestselling book "The Limits to Expansion" (1972), that industrial civilisation would be doomed if businesses and governments continued to pursue continuous economic growth at any cost. The researchers proposed 12 future scenarios, the majority of which anticipated that natural resources would become scarce to the point that further economic expansion would be impossible and personal welfare would drop. The contentious MIT study sparked a firestorm of controversy, and it was widely mocked at the time by pundits who distorted its findings and methods. However, a report written by a senior director at professional services behemoth KPMG, one of the 'Big Four' accounting companies in terms of global sales, has provided astonishing support for the conclusion. (With inputs from agencies)

Society will collapse in 21st century: MIT predicted in 1972

An Austrian sportsman kept his cool on Saturday (September 5) and set a new world record for standing in a box full of ice cubes, lasting a teeth-chattering two hours, 30 minutes and 57 seconds.

Chilling out: Austrian breaks record for standing in box of ice

Wearing a long green outfit that flows around his body as he dances on stage, 27-year-old Achref El Abed says he is defying gender roles in his native Tunisia by choosing a career as a male bellydancer.

Tunisian male belly dancer sways away from gender norms

Melaniya Petrushanska spent almost a sixth of her life in accidental exile after Israel sealed its borders while she was abroad on what was meant to be a short holiday. The three-year-old daughter of Ukrainian immigrants had a tearful reunion with her parents this week after an Israeli airline agreed to bring her back.

Tears for toddler's return to Israel after accidental coronavirus exile

Crowds flocked to the beach in the southern English town of Brighton on Thursday (June 25) in a spell of hot weather.

Crowds pack Brighton beach in scorching weather

Five-year-old Tony Hudgell has raised more than 1 million pounds ($1.24 million) for the London hospital that saved his life by walking 10 kilometres on his new prosthetic legs after being inspired by Captain Tom's record breaking endeavours.

Five year old double amputee raises more than £1 million for charity

Man's best friend, through thick and thin. That is the story of Argentine traveller Michael Graef and his two dogs Nilo and Chamo, after refusing a humanitarian flight home amid the pandemic because he would have to leave his two best friends behind.

Loyal to the end: Argentine refuses COVID flight home to stay with dogs

A group of Russian thrill-seekers were spotted on Tuesday (June 9) fighting summer heat with a method of their own - riding in a wagon transformed into a swimming pool in the centre of the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

Russians combat summer heat by riding swimming pool wagon

A 55-metre-high ferris wheel overlooking Brussels resumed operations on Wednesday (June 10), three months after the Belgian government imposed a lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Brussels' giant ferris wheel turns again after three-month-long hiatus

Belgium allowed almost all businesses to reopen on Monday (June 8), including bars and restaurants, but social distancing measures must remain.

Belgians return to bars, restaurants but not without virus fears

Pope Francis on Friday (June 5) spoke about the importance of education, and invited people to commit themselves to caring for the environment.

'Education is listening and celebrating life', Pope Francis says in video conference with Latin first ladies

Artists in the Cologne and Bonn region of Germany have set up a drive-through gallery in an airport car park to exhibit their work.

Art fans visit drive-through exhibition in airport car park

The desire to study and help her family led Alisson Goez, an eight-year-old girl from rural Medellin in Colombia, to sell her drawings to buy a computer to attend virtual classes from home during the coronavirus quarantine

Colombian girl sells art to buy computer for home studies

For 64-year-old New Yorker Victoria Rosenblatt, giving up her calming pottery hobby during the stresses of the coronavirus lockdown was not something she wanted to contemplate. But her local pottery studio had been forced to close. So she purchased from the studio a mini pottery wheel on which she can make tiny pots and jugs at home.

Brooklyn pottery studio sells tiny takeout 'quarantine kits' as it seeks to survive

Footprints stamped the auburn beaches of a Western French city on Wednesday (May 13) for the first time in months as the first beaches in the country reopened to the public during the country's gradual deconfinement period.

First beaches reopen as France softens virus lockdown

More than a thousand pets are currently stranded worldwide by the flight cancellations and border closures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic

Stranded pets, desperate owners: coronavirus separates furry family members

Professional chefs are cooking up around 40,000 lunch boxes over a period of 10 days for local communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Bangkok, starting from Wednesday (May 13).

Thai chefs cook up 40,000 free lunches for people affected by pandemic

An online drinking party service has gained popularity after the Japanese government urged people to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Japanese online drinking party service becomes sensational hit amid virus lockdown

British World War Two veteran Captain Tom Moore is in for a very special 100th birthday on Thursday (April 30) after well-wishers from around the world repaid his record-breaking fundraising efforts by sending tens of thousands of birthday cards.

Birthday tributes flood in for fund-raising British veteran 'Captain Tom'

In downtown Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province where the coronavirus pandemic is said to have originated, barber Yang Guangyu is busy giving haircuts and shaving beards of his customers now that the lockdown is coming to an end.

Wuhan barber wears plastic bottle and pipe mask for protection

The U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds showed their solidarity with frontline workers fighting the pandemic with a fly by over Las Vegas on Saturday (April 11).

Thunderbirds show solidarity with frontline workers with a fly by in Las Vegas

A coronavirus quarantine couldn't stop the Easter Bunny from making his rounds in California.Mom and lawyer, Jessica Pride, drove her husband, Dante Pride, around their Solana Beach neighborhood on Saturday (April 11) with Dante dressed as the holiday mascot.

Mom drives Easter Bunny around neighborhood to entertain quarantined kids

Israeli bride and groom Roni Ben-Ari and Yonatan Meushar, danced in the near-deserted hall on Wednesday (March 18) with most of their family and friends watching from their screens via livestream.

'Just the two of us': Love in the age of coronavirus

Waving their arms and stomping their feet, Japanese seniors in Saitama are exercising indoors and avoiding exposure amid the outbreak with the help of a new Youtube video.

Youtube video helps Japanese seniors get in shape amid outbreak

Parisians appeared to ignore the French government's instructions to maintain safe distances between each other to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as they headed outdoors on Sunday (March 15) to enjoy some sun.

Parisians brush off virus fears to enjoy some sun

Every working day residents of Kalingrad can see the same picture: a sad husky on a leash sitting patiently near an office building, waiting for its owner, Svetlana Kutasheva. She believes it is better for her pet than sitting at home alone.

Husky waits for its owner outside everyday

Some Greeks headed to the beach on Saturday (March 14) after the government imposed further measures to halt the impact of coronavirus.

Greeks head to beach as cafes, taverns, malls, shut down over virus

As Skull Breaker Challenge goes viral across the globe, experts ask parents to keep their children away from this fatal challenge. It is not the first time that such a challenge has surfaced on social media. MoMo Challenge, KiKi Challenge and the horrific Blue Whale Challenge were successful enough in influencing children to take up the challenge.

Skull Breaker Challenge: Keep your kids away from this dangerous challenge

Feeling proud and grateful, Cesar Bonilla, 87, is still baffled by a surge in demand for his canned potato chips after a tin briefly appeared in the award-sweeping Korean film "Parasite", making his small company in northwestern Spain hire more staff.

How Oscar-winning 'Parasite' caused a surge in Spanish crisp maker's sales

Syrian video journalist Abdallah al-Muhammad has turned the experience of air strikes and shelling near his home in northwest Syria's Idlib into a game for his three-year old daughter to help her cope with the trauma.

Syrian father and daughter turn sound of war into rosy game

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