--- title: "Pornhub Announces Sweeping Changes to Fight Sex Videos of Children on Its Site" description: "In an effort to combat non-consensual content on its platform, Pornhub is making sweeping changes to to how it's operating, Vice reports." date: "2020-12-09" modified: "2020-12-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/pornhub-non-consensual-content-moderation" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "Pornhub" - "the digest" --- # Pornhub Announces Sweeping Changes to Fight Sex Videos of Children on Its Site ![In an effort to combat non-consensual content on its platform, Pornhub is making sweeping changes to to how it's operating, Vice reports.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* ## No Consent In an effort to combat non-consensual content — up to and including sexual videos of minors — on its platform, Pornhub is making sweeping changes to to its operations, [*Vice* reports](). The website will ban downloads of any content, restrict uploads only to verified users, and expand its moderation process. That's a stark departure from Pornhub's previous policy of allowing any user to upload content without verification. ## Content Partners The news comes after a [damning opinion piece]() published by *The New York Times* described a much darker side to a smut site that has often prided itself on making charitable donations. "Effective immediately, only content partners and people within the Model Program will be able to upload content to Pornhub," [a statement]() reads. The platform is also hoping that new "fingerprinting technology" will block any uploads of content that had already been hosted on and flagged by the site. ## Red Team A dedicated "Red Team" will also be established at Pornhub, with the single task of "proactively sweeping content already uploaded for potential violations and identifying any breakdowns in the moderation process that could allow a piece of content that violates the Terms of Service." The company will also use Google's AI tool Content Safety API to help detect illegal imagery. Pornhub is also establishing a "Trusted Flagger Program" that will allow 40 non-profit child safety organizations to "have a direct line of access to our moderation team." **READ MORE:** [In a Huge Policy Shift, Pornhub Bans Unverified Uploads]() \[*Vice*\] **More on content moderation:** *[Peloton — Yes, the Exercise Bike — Is Fighting Hate Speech on Its Platform]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()