Mastercard is currently investigating allegations of depicting child abuse and non-consensual sexual behavior against Pornhub.com after a New York Times column made the accusations.
The credit card company, which accepts payments on the website, stated that they have a “zero tolerance for illegal activity.” As part of staying true to that statement, Mastercard works closely with authorities and the National and International Center for Missing and Exploited Children to uncover and stop such activity from occurring.
“We are investigating the allegations raised in the New York Times and are working with [Pornhub parent company] MindGeek’s bank to understand this situation, in addition to the other steps they have already taken. If the claims are substantiated, we will take immediate action,” Mastercard Company said to CNN Business. “When we identify illegal activity, our policy is to ask the acquirer to terminate the relationship, unless an effective compliance plan is put in place.”
The investigation into Pornhub’s site comes after a Times’ column, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof, mentioned that the website allowed videos of “assaults of unconscious women and girls, including a naked video of a 14-year-old girl”, to be uploaded on their site, and opening room for the content to be spread across the internet.
In response, Pornhub denied all allegations and maintains that any claims of allowing videos of child sex abuse on their site are “irresponsible and flagrantly untrue.”
“Due to the nature of our industry, people’s preconceived notions of Pornhub’s values and processes often differ from reality — but it is counterproductive to ignore the facts regarding a subject as serious as CSAM, ” Pornhub stated.
“We have zero tolerance for CSAM. Pornhub is unequivocally committed to combating CSAM, and has instituted an industry-leading trust and safety policy to identify and eradicate illegal material from our community.”
