The Sticky Dilemmas of Pornhub’s Next Chapter
Pornhub has taken steps to address at least some of these problems. Following the Times article, it scrubbed the site of all “unverified content,” Kekesi said. Now anyone who wants to upload content to Pornhub has to not only verify their own identity; they also must supply proof of consent for everyone who appears in the scene, including documentation, IDs, and other paperwork. Pornhub also started issuing annual “transparency reports,” which it now does twice a year, publishing its content moderation practices. In 2022, the site introduced a chatbot intended to encourage people searching for child sexual abuse content to get help. Still, its lack of past oversight remained a hot topic—and a steady concern. In 2023, Aylo was acquired by Ethical Capital Partners, a Canadian private equity firm. “When they took ownership of the company, it really ushered in this new, I guess, era for Aylo—but I think for Pornhub, specifically—with a mandate very dedicated to transparency,” Kekesi said.
In the business of bodies and desire, everything has to be packaged just right for the fantasy to work. Presentation is what sells. Perfect lighting. Exact camera angles. Image also matters—just as much, it seems, if not more—to the companies behind your favorite x-rated content. At least, that’s the gist I got when I spoke with Kekesi.
To rebuild that trust—with creators, with users, with governments—Pornhub has leaned into a strategy of open communication. Kekesi was promoted from her previous role as marketing director to her current, more public-facing one (many sex-forward companies—Sniffies, for example—trot out executives in similar roles). “You know, because we’re from the adult industry, people—point blank—do not want to hear what we have to say,” she said. So the company launched Terms of Service, a podcast co-hosted by Kekesi and adult film star Asa Akira, to “set the record straight on things when it comes to Pornhub,” she said. Company ethics, moderation, sex worker rights; all of it is fair game on the show.
When I asked Kekesi if the previous ownership, capsized by a storm of allegations, had failed to be as open as they could, she didn’t hesitate. “Yes, there were obstacles,” she said.
Still, ongoing threats loom. Project 2025, the Republican playbook for a second Trump term, wants to criminalize porn nationwide. (Trump denied any connection to Project 2025 while campaigning, but he has been putting its authors forward for key government positions.) Already, twelve US states have instituted age-verification laws around porn consumption. Because PornHub doesn’t want to open itself to litigation under these new laws, it went on the offensive, blocking all access to its site in those states regardless of age. Kekesi said the company is in favor of the concept; it is “a good thing when it’s done properly.” Only, that’s not the case. “Look at how it’s happening now—it’s ineffective.”
