MindGeek, the Luxembourg-based operator of several porn sites, including Pornhub, Brazzers, and Redtube, was acquired by Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners (ECP). The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. MindGeek has been a giant in the online porn industry since. In June 2022, Visa stopped working with the company after lawsuits and public criticism. On Twitter, it is claimed that the purchase of MindGeek was just a fake. Here is a short report.
The porn company MindGeek is highly discussed. MindGeek’s CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo resigned after an investigation in the New Yorker found that non-consensual and underage videos appeared on Pornhub. MindGeek also is the target of multiple lawsuits alleging it has knowingly profited off of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). As of December 2020, the platform removed all non-verified content and now requires anyone who appears in a user-uploaded video to verify their identity.
Read The New Yorker story here.
One of Pornhub‘s loudest critics is Laila Mickelwait (@LailaMickelwait). She has pointed out Pornhub‘s criminal business approaches time and again. She has opined that the sale of MindGeek was merely a fake and that the old owners would continue to participate.
In its announcement, ECP refers to MindGeek as “the internet leader in fighting illegal online content.” The private equity firm defends its acquisition and lists several policies in MindGeek’s trust and safety program, including its moderation practices, which require human moderators to manually review all uploads.
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