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Media The Internet

Petition Calls On Pornhub To Prevent Non-Consensual Videos From Being Posted (theguardian.com) 180

A petition with over 350,000 signatures is calling on Pornhub to stop posting non-consensual videos and marketing them as "pornography." Kate Isaacs writes via The Guardian: Pornhub's argument that "extremists" are lobbying to shut them down is ridiculous. I'm non-religious, liberal and sex positive and in no way "anti-porn." I started the #NotYourPorn campaign after a friend had her iCloud account hacked last year. Videos of her and an ex had been stolen from her phone and then uploaded to Pornhub. We have tried to have my friend's videos taken down: we told the company that she was underage, that she didn't consent to being on their website and still it took several weeks to remove it. Unfortunately, by then the damage was already done. When one video had been removed, an identical video with her full name attached would pop back up again. This cycle of reporting the video to Pornhub, delayed removal and subsequent re-uploading continued for months -- until she ended up on Pornhub's top five trending videos in the UK. My friend fell into a state of depression at the knowledge that she had been reduced to a search term, her body packaged up as porn and sold for profit.

Since then I have worked with 50 women who were turned into "porn stars" without their permission -- some of whom were under 18 -- when videos of them were posted on Pornhub without their consent. Before you tell yourself that this would never happen to you (because you wouldn't be so careless as to have a video of yourself like that in the first place) then I'd ask you to consider Catherine's* case. Catherine got in contact with me when she found that her ex had been secretly recording them having sex, and without her knowledge uploading these videos to Pornhub for glory -- and even a cash reward. When Catherine discovered his Pornhub page, she found videos of what appeared to be other unsuspecting victims too, all promoted under "secret recording" categories on the website. Secret recording categories can still be found on Pornhub.
"Pornhub hide themselves behind freedom of expression and argue that all sexual fantasies on their site are just that: legitimate fantasies acted out by consenting adults. They have defended the "young teen" and "drunk stolen snapchat" categories as legitimate fantasy protected by freedom of speech," Isaac writes in closing.

"Let me be clear: this isn't about censorship or stifling kinks -- there are plenty of ethical porn companies who have strong systems in place to ensure everyone involved in production is a consenting adult. This is about a huge corporation profiting from non-consensual videos -- and an industry that publishes abusive content with no regulatory body or government holding them to account."
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Petition Calls On Pornhub To Prevent Non-Consensual Videos From Being Posted

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  • by newcastlejon ( 1483695 ) on Monday March 09, 2020 @08:39PM (#59813438)
    As the title is written, it implies that the videos showed sexual assault and/or rape.
    • by BeerFartMoron ( 624900 ) on Monday March 09, 2020 @08:53PM (#59813492)
      The title says "Non-Consensual Videos", not "Videos of Non-Consensual Sex". It is correct as is.
      • by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 09, 2020 @09:57PM (#59813646)
        Since Slashdot has stooped so low to feature "stories" about porn, let's go ahead and drive this one home. What are YOUR favorite PornHub (or YouPorn et al.) videos? Post below!

        I'll start with this one: Strapon Women Who F*** Better Than Men - 2 [pornhub.com]
      • How often are the words "non-consensual" not immediately followed by the word "sex"?

        • by AvitarX ( 172628 )
          Fwiw I instantly read it in the way it was intended.

          I don't know how it could have been phrased differently, but it didn't strike me as weird at all.
      • by lgw ( 121541 )

        PornHub has already answered this. They already ban "Non-Consensual Videos": consent is required from all models, per their terms of service (and the laws in many states).

        Don't be deceived, this whole BS is just neo-Victorian sex-negative feminism. They just want to judge, control, and shame the sexuality of others. Just what we needed, more moral scolds.

        • by Antique Geekmeister ( 740220 ) on Tuesday March 10, 2020 @02:19AM (#59814006)

          If I may disagree? Revenge porn, where ex-lovers or malicious people blackmail each other for more sex is a _theme_ in a great deal of porn. Even though it may be acting, and usually very poor quality acting, without some caution there's a good chance an abuser will submit a fake consent form for their sex partner and submit clips. Having a good policy in hand to handle accusation makes sense for any content carrier, much as it makes sense for Github to have policies about copyright violations on its software repository.

          • "Even though it may be acting, and usually very poor quality acting, without some caution there's a good chance an abuser will submit a fake consent form for their sex partner and submit clips. "

            So I guess you want everybody in every porn movie to travel to Luxembourg, show Mindgeek their Photo-ID and swear their consent before a notary?
            Would that put your mind at rest?

            I guess not, they could still send a lookalike to swear consent.

        • by Cederic ( 9623 )

          If they've already answered this then why does the problem persist?

          Having a policy that bans videos unless all participants have agreed publication is good. Enforcing that policy is difficult. This article suggests they aren't enforcing it as adequately as some people would hope.

          this whole BS is just neo-Victorian sex-negative feminism

          No, it's about preventing video of you getting fucked being published online without your permission.

          They just want to judge, control, and shame the sexuality of others

          No. They want videos of themselves removed from a porn site.

          Your paranoia and fearful defence of your pornography addiction appears

        • by spun ( 1352 )

          Why am I not surprised to see you supporting non-consensual revenge porn, and whining about feminism? Nobody is scolding anyone for their sexuality. They are saying pornhub is hosting videos where not all models have consented. The issue is that pornhub is not taking down these illegal videos, and that people keep reposting them.

          It's like you did not even read the summary.

      • by Shaitan ( 22585 )

        Well no because there is no non-consensual sex at issue and unlike the sex consent isn't the primary factor for the video. Other than freaking yourself out about it a video isn't harmful, unless it proves you've done something with consequences in which case there is no ethical basis for the sense of entitlement to dodge consequences..

    • What, pray tell, is supposed to be insightful in that comment?

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

      I don't have much to say on the topic, but Bill Maher did.

      In terms of insight, I'd expect to see some mention of "pretend violence" or "fake consent" in the sense of people who enjoy the pretense. Apparently that's already too meta for today's Slashdot. Or maybe just too many cowards afraid to touch the topic with the 11-foot poll, even veiled as AC.

      Me? I think there's probably too much porn on the Web and probabl

    • by amorsen ( 7485 )

      That is because the videos DID show sexual assault and/or rape.

  • under 18 so they have CP on there?

    • by amorsen ( 7485 )

      Correct.

  • 'not an extremist (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Jarwulf ( 530523 ) on Monday March 09, 2020 @09:05PM (#59813518)

    I'm non-religious, liberal

    as if that automatically excludes you from being an extremist.

    • "Liberal" in this context is contrasted to "radical feminist" (radfem), so it's supposed to be understood as liberal as in moderate, not as liberal as in leftist. Radfems oppose every kind of porn, when liberal feminists usually accepts consensual porn.

    • Try to understand that comment in context. The writer is not extremely against sexual expression. Not everything is about politics.

  • by Jarwulf ( 530523 ) on Monday March 09, 2020 @09:16PM (#59813556)
    I've noticed this very often with antiporn/'women are victims of everything' hysterical articles. They take the absolute worst cases and word them in such a way to mislead you into thinking this is the majority of their so called victims or give a misleading impression of the actual overall situation. For example take a look at the line in the header about Catherine. If you read carefully the hidden implication is that the majority of the so called victims are probably just silly people who voluntarily were recorded or recorded themselves and then for whatever reason objected to their videos ending up on Pornhub. But if you just go with the headline you'd conjure up visions of busloads of little girls in chains salacious victimized by hidden cameras.
    • by tarlong ( 446034 ) <tarlong@gmail.com> on Monday March 09, 2020 @09:53PM (#59813640)

      Is the same dude. The rest is just a-hagling over the price. Would you kill for one dollar? or for one Million? I would kill rapists at a drop of a hat for free. But would shed tears if killed a rat that i just wanted to scare. Sheesh, grow some humanity.

      No matter the reason, the ladies or dudes deserve respect. Even if what they did was consensual at the time, people evolve and change. I used to smoke, now I don't. Would I prefer people not smoke beside me? Sure, but then again, I can just move down the road.

      Do these people want her old shytte running loose around? Probably not. So, is their prerogative to say no. Would you consent for me to slap you until silly? Probably not (maybe you do, you just don't know with some people) But what if i just came after you and started slapping you, would you like it? would you like me posting photos or blogs testifying about the slapping you used to have and still get from time to time?

      So in the end, for whatever reason, they get to say no. System should be, yes, guilty until proven guilty. In this case, I am all for adjudicating on the side of caution. I have a daughter, sister, mother, aunts, cousins, etc. anyone could become a victim. even you and me. Although, anyone who publishes me and my doings buttnaked is a deranged entity best fit for the crappier types of b-horror movies.

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Jarwulf ( 530523 )
        I don't give a sh%^ about your sister. Neither do the people behind this who use her as part of their power plays. Tiny powerplays they flex over you by the hundreds that individually seem reasonable or not that big a deal but little by little to chip away and constrain our way of life to an ever shrinking sphere. Yeah yeah it could be my sister that stupidly uploaded a video of her butt and 20 years later now wants anyone who peeks at it anywhere in the world to go to jail. But it could be my brother who n
      • System should be, yes, guilty until proven guilty.

        That's a great way of creating a system whereby you get to take down the perfectly legitimate content of people you don't like. The system should *absolutely NOT* be this.

        You have made a decision and sided with one side. It basically sounds like you're an advocate for the DMCA, a shitshow which has lead to a world of headaches for legitimate content creators and has consolidated power over content within large corporations.

        You should really think about the implications of your proposals.

      • Ummm, you are arguing with Jarwulf as if he/she is a proponent of having non-consensual videos posted... but that is just evidence of the article being artfully crafted. Don't let them use you as a "useful idiot".

    • I've noticed this very often with antiporn/'women are victims of everything' hysterical articles. They take the absolute worst cases and word them in such a way to mislead you into thinking this is the majority of their so called victims or give a misleading impression of the actual overall situation. For example take a look at the line in the header about Catherine. If you read carefully the hidden implication is that the majority of the so called victims are probably just silly people who voluntarily were recorded or recorded themselves and then for whatever reason objected to their videos ending up on Pornhub. But if you just go with the headline you'd conjure up visions of busloads of little girls in chains salacious victimized by hidden cameras.

      Can I cite your post to promote my Jay McInerney Seminar and The-Persuasvie-Power-of-Second-Person Narration?

    • "They take the absolute worst cases and word them in such a way to mislead you into thinking this is the majority"..... so they are playing normal political games.
    • The headline reads;

      "A petition is calling on the site to prevent non-consensual videos being posted – and highlights the lack of industry regulation"

      And you're conjuring up visions of "busloads of little girls in chains salacious victimized by hidden cameras."

      The headline seems proportionate and accurate - the only one being triggered here is you. And your characterization of people as 'so-called' victims, 'silly people' demonstrates your agenda rather clearly.

      Let's be clear, if I want to tape myself

      • by Cederic ( 9623 )

        I'd just like to share my sympathy for your pot plant and ask for your address so that I can break in, rescue it, and leave you a cactus in its place.

    • >>visions of busloads of little girls in chains salacious victimized by hidden cameras. Do you have a link to that video?
  • I thought posting explicit videos without permission was already a crime. Sure there are "hidden" videos but presumably virtually all are fakes.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Jarwulf ( 530523 )
      I visit these sites for....research.....All mainstream 'porn Youtubes' already ban even fake versions of any kink thats even slightly controversial with feminists save for just plain heterosexual sex so I'm not really sure what they're banging on about here except they simply want more control or want to whip up more hysteria and are using the boogyman of rare outliers as an excuse. I also suspect they have policies to strike out any upload where they run even a slight risk of running afoul of underage mode
  • ...there's a Secret Recording category?

    Streisand Effect, anyone?

  • by Solandri ( 704621 ) on Tuesday March 10, 2020 @12:48AM (#59813910)
    They're going after the wrong target - the porn site. Probably because it's easier (the people running it have to file business paperwork, so are traceable), more visible, and they probably have several hundreds of millions of dollars of liability insurance.

    The proper target is the bastard who took the video and uploaded it without her consent (which is already illegal). Sue him, fine him, bankrupt him, and if this really is child porn, lock him away in prison for a long, long time. Once word gets around that the authorities are cracking down hard on people who upload porn without consent [wikipedia.org], people will stop uploading porn without consent. Legitimate photographers and videographers already cover their butts against this type of case - they have all actors (and even people who show up incidentally in their productions) sign a model release [wikipedia.org].

    It's too late for this woman - we can't put her genie back into the bottle. And attempting to put her genie back in the bottle will trample on the rights of millions of people and threaten billions of dollars of legitimate business. But strong action against people who upload unauthorized stuff (which is already illegal) will prevent future genies from getting out of the bottle. That's how you can protect women without destroying legitimate industries as collateral damage. When a plane crashes, we don't waste time and energy trying to resurrect the people who died. We investigate the accident, find out what went wrong, and take steps to prevent other people from dying in another similar crash in the future.
    • They're going after the wrong target - the porn site. Probably because it's easier (the people running it have to file business paperwork, so are traceable), more visible, and they probably have several hundreds of millions of dollars of liability insurance.

      Not really. They are going after the "right" target. Once you realize Kate Isaacs is an anti-porn version of a Social Justice Warrior, attacking PornHub is absolutely the right target. Don't let her claims of "trying to help" confuse you. She has absolutely no interest at all in helping anyone. She is attacking, not defending.

  • Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday March 10, 2020 @01:19AM (#59813950)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • From the article:

    "I started the #NotYourPorn campaign after a friend had her iCloud account hacked last year. Videos of her and an ex had been stolen from her phone and then uploaded to Pornhub. "
    and
    "We have tried to have my friend’s videos taken down: we told the company that she was underage, that she didn’t consent to being on their website and still it took several weeks to remove it."

    Therefore, either:
    A. The friend is underage, and the writer of the article is aware that her and her ex had

    • by Cederic ( 9623 )

      her ex had been involved in the production of video of a minor in sexual activity which they did not report to authorities, and that the Ex has sexual relations with a minor

      Bear in mind that it's possible to legally have sex but still not legal to video it. E.g. in the UK when one of the participants is 16 or 17.

  • If a woman of legal age signs a legal agreement, goes to a shoot, strips off in front of a camera and starts giving someone a blowjob, thatâ(TM)s most likely consensual!
    But then Iâ(TM)m not a feminist lawyer.....

  • It starts off talking about someone having dirty movies taken from iCloud, then it's from her phone. Then she becomes "underage" (which seems to be 18 in this story; I'm pretty sure 18 isn't the cut off everywhere) and then wanders off into a story about secret filming.

    These are not all the same issue. I think the first couple are probably copyright infringement. The underage thing is interesting as the story doesn't make any condemnation about having sex with a minor (that would probably be "slut-shaming"

  • by cjeze ( 596987 ) on Tuesday March 10, 2020 @05:54AM (#59814234)

    There is plenty of material on the site already!

    The website should lower the threshold significantly if there is someone who complains of a specific piece of uploaded material from a non-verified/authorized producer, especially so if the complaint comes from the actual person or their guardian. The website needs to act responsibly, professionally and properly - in order to be good representative of the ones who want to be on the site.

  • I really don't know the answer to this question. It seems that we have pretty good algorithms for comparing still images that have been reformatted and edited to conclude when we are looking at derivatives. A video though could be a fair bit different; does good software exist to tell if video1.mpg is sufficiently similar to video2.mov to believe that one was made from the other?
  • If PornHub knows that the video is non-consensual, it is removed. What is the problem here?

    Do they honestly expect PornHub to know, without any further input, that a particular video is non-consensual? Is it even possible for PornHub to determine if a video is non-consensual?

    Kate Isaacs says, " there are plenty of ethical porn companies who have strong systems in place to ensure everyone involved in production is a consenting adult."

    Kate Isaacs is willfully stupid by conflating PornHub with a porn productio

  • by LenKagetsu ( 6196102 ) on Tuesday March 10, 2020 @03:58PM (#59816094)

    >a friend had her iCloud account hacked last year.
    >Videos of her and an ex had been stolen from her phone and then uploaded to Pornhub.
    >we told the company that she was underage

    So... her friend was uploading child pornography to iCloud?

  • Novel idea (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Kryptonut ( 1006779 ) on Tuesday March 10, 2020 @04:26PM (#59816142)

    Don't record that shit to begin with. That, you can control.

    What you can't control are people that break into devices and cloud services. That cat and mouse game is never going to end.

    You are responsible for your own privacy.

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