Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, has admitted to hosting adult videos that featured women coerced into performing sex acts by a production company. In a recent agreement with federal prosecutors, Aylo agreed to pay a hefty $1.8 million fine and compensate the victims of sex trafficking. The deferred prosecution agreement outlines that Aylo pleaded not guilty to engaging in unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds, even as it acknowledged the presence of illegal material on its platform and expressed regret for the situation.
Between 2017 and 2019, Aylo received payments from a production company to stream pornographic content, fully aware that some videos featured women who hadn’t given consent for the material to be posted online. Despite receiving takedown requests in 2016 and being aware of a federal lawsuit against the production company in 2017, Aylo failed to promptly respond to the concerns raised by the victims. The company didn’t take sufficient action to verify consent or independently address the issues. Even after removing the videos in 2019, some reappeared online, leading to legal consequences.
Legal Scrutiny and Monitoring Agreement
While the government did not directly accuse Aylo of violating federal sex trafficking laws, it argued that Aylo should have known about its involvement with a group engaged in sex trafficking. As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Aylo will undergo monitoring for three years, and the charges will be dropped if the company complies with the terms. This agreement holds Aylo accountable for its role in hosting videos and reflects the legal consequences of its failure to act against the coerced content promptly.
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In a statement, Aylo, now under new management, expressed deep regret for hosting the contentious content. The company emphasized its commitment to vigilance against illegal material and the importance of responding to evolving threats and challenges. Despite not acknowledging criminal liability, Aylo’s new compliance director highlighted the company’s zero-tolerance policy for illegal material and outlined measures in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The repercussions of Aylo’s admission and the subsequent fine raise questions about potential economic impacts, as the company navigates a balance between legal accountability and trade considerations. Aylo’s new compliance director, Solomon Friedman, stressed that the company has zero tolerance for illegal material. The agreement with federal prosecutors signals a commitment to addressing past shortcomings and implementing measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, positioning Aylo under heightened scrutiny as it moves forward with its diverse portfolio of adult content websites.