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

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.

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Digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called on ECP to clarify its compliance strategy.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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