Over 2.1 mil. People Sign Petition to Close Down a Popular Porn Site!

[Oneironaut]

Sorry if this is a repost. This isn’t really a new petition, but I think it’s important.

https://www.traffickinghubpetition.com/

In the last few months, there have been several shocking cases of sex trafficking and child rape films that were hosted on Pornhub. A 15-year-old girl who had been missing for a year was finally found after her mother was tipped off that her daughter was being featured in videos on the site — 58 such videos of her rape and sexual abuse were discovered on Pornhub.

Also in recent news was the case of 22 women who were deceived and coerced by Michael Pratt, owner of GirlsDoPorn, into performing sex acts on film that were subsequently uploaded to Pornhub. These women sued GirlsDoPorn and won a $12.7 million lawsuit against the company. According to a federal indictment, Pratt and his co-conspirators produced filmed child rape and sexual abuse content and trafficked a minor. Pratt reportedly fled the United States for New Zealand and is currently wanted on a federal warrant.

Comments - I am personally not anti-porn (given that it is produced ethically and woman-owned). However, if you use sites like this, you should know what you are supporting.

Girls (not even women yet) are being abused, and their nightmares are being transmitted for other sickos to watch. Then, when they completely reasonably (sigh) demand a site to take down the videos of their rape, they have no power. If a site even has one of this type of video, how is it not rotten to the core?

How is this any different from modern day sex slavery? How are the men watching these videos not victimizing these girls again, since views create a demand for this type of media? How can anyone have a normal mindset after mentally ingesting this garbage? A soulless corporation is knowingly turning a blind eye to the trafficking of girls and women because they know that they can get away with it.

Ignoring the outright illegal content, is it moral to watch videos of desperate women (including run-aways, homeless women, trans women or members of the LGBT+ community, or already abused women) being tortured by men who turn around and take all of the profit for themselves? Women are being cultivated and abused like a commodity for the amusement of men. They are hit, kicked, or abused like animals. They are different degrees of enslaved.

I am not anti-porn. However, when the most popular sites contribute to the objectification of women as inhuman objects for male pleasure, abuse them, and even host outright pedophilia and/or rape, I would argue even visiting a site like that is immoral. I do not believe a site that allows media like this to exist should be allowed to continue.

I’d like to know your thoughts. I think this issue is important, because a lot of men trust sites like this to care when they really don’t. They openly allow women (or men) to be abused for profit. I think we need government regulation on sites like this, as they are openly harming our culture and minds as a country.

[Squinch]

1. You are absolutely right, but often on DU a contingent comes out of the woodwork that

insists that prostitutes and porn actors and actresses are all working their way through college and do what they do because they like sex.

So you might get some flak from some of them.

BUT the proliferation of porn on the internet and the constant demand for the next most verboten thing makes the situations you describe inevitable.

You cannot be a decent person and support such a site.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Missed this because it showed up while I was typing-- yes, I am one of those in the woodwork...

because I just simply do not see anything wrong with porn if done "right". Yes, there are women drawn into it with drug habits, or other problems, but deal with the problems and leave them with choice.

BTW, women get paid vastly more than men in the porn biz.

[Squinch]

8. .

[Oneironaut]

11. I really disagree with the second paragraph.

I’m sure porn stars get paid well. They are probably .01% of all porn “actresses.” Women who are desperate, beaten, or need the money to survive are not paid well. They bear the abuse of the Capitalist exploitation of their bodies while their “employers” reap the rewards.

I seriously doubt an 18 or 19 year old teenager is being paid well by these slimy video producers. They are physically abused, and given vulgar labels (sorry if this isn’t allowed, but - b*tch, slut, whore, tr*nny, homophobic slurs, etc.). They are choked and roughed up.

Let’s say they were even remotely paid fairly. They are still being abused and humiliated on-screen. It’s still evil at its core.

[Squinch]

17. Yes. And being trafficked is really not the road to riches.

[TreasonousBastard]

18. Well, I don't have any recent numbers off hand, but over the years I have run into some, and...

women had been paid by the scene. Several thousand, actually. Men not nearly so much.

Women in porn also tend to have related screen income. Some are actually *gasp* prostitutes. Some are just part-time, doing it for kicks

And, do you watch enough porn to know how often they are insulted and abused? Most of it is about the women having a really good time. Yes, there are the dark scenes, but one would have to prove they are not acting and were forced into B&D.

And, ummm, there are also lots of dungeons, onscreen and off, where men pay good money to get beat up by women in leather. Getting rid of those, too?

(And no, I am not into B&D, whips and chains, or whatever, but I do know for sure that they exist.)

So, if one forgets that the sex business is a sex business and just treats it like any other business, most of the problems would be solved. Wouldn't make a lot of people like it any more, but it's not nearly as nasty as the pork slaughterhouse that makes your favorite bacon.

[Oneironaut]

22. I would argue prostitutes are also being abused by the system.

Does any prostitute actually want to be a prostitute, or, are they forced to become prostitutes because our Capitalist society refuses to support them without giving something in return? Do you know why so many trans women are prostitutes, in porn, or “cam girls” (or guys in the case of trans men)? It’s because they are forced to. The threat of starving is no different than being threatened by a gun - if you need to survive, you get desperate. Sex is a commodity in our society, and when you have no other useful skills, you are forced into it.

I do not, and I do not begrudge people who watch ethical porn, but I have read countering view points (feminist points of view to completely pro-pornography points of view). I am sex-positive when there is no power imbalance and it’s between consenting adults. To me, porn is a poor substitute to real human companionship and sex.

I hate to tell you that those women are not having a good time. No woman wants a guy they don’t know to choke them, call them hurtful names, and hurt them. Everything in those videos is fake.

BDSM is a total false equivalency. In those situations, you usually have a safe word. If you say it, it’s over. That’s the whole point - it’s not exploitive in any way. Those men are still in control. They can get up and leave. A teenager coerced into being in a porn video likely would not have as much control.

If we treated most porn businesses like any other business, they would be closed down immediately. That is something I am totally for.

[MLAA]

2. You said it, oneironaut. Adult and with consent, otherwise shut them down and prosecute.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. K&R!

I'm in agreement. This is just wrong!
It has to be illegal!

[maxsolomon]

4. I think it's based in Montreal.

Let me understand you clearly: you want the government (of Canada) to regulate Internet Porn, no matter where it's made? Or just Pornhub?

[Oneironaut]

6. Yes - Absolutely!

Sites like the one mentioned do not care about anything but money. They absolutely should be regulated, fined, or even have their executives thrown in jail. They are openly hosting videos depicting girls being abused and they don’t care.

To answer your question - they should regulate any site they can get their hands on and block traffic to the others if they don’t comply.

[maxsolomon]

10. Do they currently regulate the content?

Back in the video/DVD era, adult film production companies kept proof of "actors" ages, negative AIDS tests, that sort of thing, to protect themselves against lawsuits. Or so I heard.

I just can't see a Canadian Office of Porn Certification being established by Trudeau.

[Oneironaut]

12. I don't know - that's really the problem. Does anyone?

The site mentioned in this petition, from what I understand, functions a little bit like YouTube. It’s user-content driven, and the corporation makes money from advertising. I don’t believe this type of site should be allowed to exist - it’s a monumentally stupid idea prone to the very issues mentioned in the petition.

A porn company can be held responsible. A free-for-all video site with user content will absolutely look like the Wild West in terms of content. Does anyone really believe they check every video, or actually care?

[TreasonousBastard]

5. I agree that porn leads to despicable acts, and they should be punished. Where I get in...

trouble is when I say that all forms of sex work or open sex attracts bottomfish because sex is still considered "dirty" and nice people just don't get involved. Legalize it and that solves half the problems.

Adults should have the right and the ability to enjoy porn, prostitution, and everything related with the simple proviso that no one gets hurt.

Pornhub and the rest of them have an absolute responsibility to ensure no one on the site gets hurt. That won't be easy, but it must be. A lot of things aren't easy.

(This does open questions about bondage, but one thing at a time...)

[Squinch]

9. In the real world, lots and lots and lots of people get hurt in the worlds of porn and

prostitution. And raped and bought and sold and abused.

Not that that's going to stop any of the people who say, "as long as no one gets hurt" from continuing to engage in practices where people end up being hurt.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. So, let's stop them from being hurt. Walking away from it, or trying to shut it down...

simply allows the problems to continue.

Sex work, including porn, simply will not stop. It just won't. So, regulate it and tax it. Other countries have taken this route. You are free to still consider it all disgusting and immoral, but that would not be the law of the land.

Oh, there's also that 1st Amendment thing-- Reno v. ACLU (that's Janet Reno, not the city) threw out the part of the Communications Decency Act that made internet porn illegal. Really nasty stuff and kiddie porn is still illegal, but you can't just shut down porn sites for being porn sites. This means to be shut down Pornhub would have to know about and approve of said illegal acts. Or at least spend years in court arguing about it.

(Believe it or not, our favorite RBG joined Scalia and most of the rest in concurring. Only Thomas and Rehnquist dissented. Scalia and RBG concurred on allowing internet porn!)

Anyway, I agree it may be a little nuts, but I cannot hire a woman of the streets for sex, or get some in a massage parlor front, but if I offer, not cash for sex, but cash to be in a movie in which we have sex, it is quite legal.

Go figure.

[Squinch]

16. Sure. Because in the history of the world that has ever worked. Just stop them from being hurt.

[TreasonousBastard]

19. Your answer then is to try to shut it down driving it underground where there are no protections?

[brooklynite]

21. Ever hired anyone to do construction work?

I mean, MOST construction workers are well paid, but SOME undocumented aliens work as day laborers without adequate payment or safety protection, so we shouldn’t allow anyone to work in this are, right?

[Squinch]

37. Sure. It's just like construction work.

I often wonder if people hear themselves when they argue about this subject.

[brooklynite]

38. I hear myself very clearly

I've also heard interviews with many women in the sex work industry who say that they're doing what they want to do. rather than falling back on lazy stereotyping that they're all too weak-willed (apparently) to make decisions for themselves.

Perhaps when your principles align with those of fundamentalist evangelicals, you should think things over.

[Squinch]

40. Sure. Objecting to systematized rape, abuse and trafficking makes me just like a

fundamentalist evangelical.

[Marrah_Goodman]

39. The maker's and sellers of porn should have to be licensed, insured and regulated

Sites should be banned from showing any unlicensed videos.

[TreasonousBastard]

41. That might work, but then we run into the law-- do magazines or Disney movies have to be licensed?

[obamanut2012]

42. Or You Tubers

Sooo many You Tube channels, and they also aren't licensed. You are right.

[SlogginThroughIt]

43. I believe they are.

From what I remember from news stories following an underage problem with Tracy Lords back in the 80’s the home movie makers that submit their own stuff are not. But any production house has to have all sorts of documentation including the ages of the actors.

[Silent3]

13. I'm not sure how much profit motive has to do with it, not for the people uploading the videos

Pornhub itself monetizes their platform, but I'd guess that they get a lot of their content for free, either from porn sites hoping to lure people in with free samples of their wares, or amateurs who just get off on the exhibitionism of posting themselves, or people who without monetary motive are nasty enough to want to expose other people without their consent or knowledge.

Anyone reading, please do correct me if I'm wrong on this. I'll readily admit I'm just guessing how sites like this might operate behind the scenes.

"I am personally not anti-porn (given that it is produced ethically and woman-owned)."

Now that's an odd comment. The only way for porn to be legit is for all porn companies to be owned by women? It just can't be proper porn if a man owns the company that produces it?

Does that even go for all-male gay porn, or is that an exception to your odd rule?

[Oneironaut]

15. There are always exceptions, but women owning the production

would give them more power to control how their actresses are treated. I’m speaking in generalities - of course there are specific men who could own an ethical porn company. However, this is usually not the case, imo.

PS - Gay men are also exploited by shady porn companies.

[Silent3]

23. This sounds a lot like...

...men are suspect until proven innocent, and women are safe until proven guilty.

[Oneironaut]

25. In this case, yes, absolutely.

The porn industry is dominated by men. Women are overwhelmingly the victims.

[Silent3]

27. So you're basically okay with profiling when it comes to this? n/t

[Oneironaut]

29. Yes.

This is absolutely a problem caused by men. Not all men, but yes, men.

[crickets]

33. I'm going to have to gently disagree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghislaine_Maxwell

[Oneironaut]

34. That's one person, not a trend, though.

It’s also totally unrelated. We are talking about the porn industry. Ghislane Maxwell was an outright trafficker.

It’s common knowledge that the porn industry is overwhelmingly owned by men. Women are overwhelmingly its victims.

[crickets]

35. I was thinking in terms of power imbalance regardless of sex, which I didn't clarify.

So, clarifying now. I agree that abuse in the porn industry is problematic. I think a lot of the problem is sexist in nature and usually involves men victimizing women. I get it, I do. But remember that the madam can be just as cruel as the pimp in her own way, literally and metaphorically. Replacing the production owners with women might help some overall, depending on the women, but will not necessarily get rid of the problems. There's no way to tackle the root causes leading to abuse of women in porn without dealing with the underlying societal issues, and that's not just to do with porn or which sex owns the business.

Of course, I could be totally wrong.

In any case, trying to limit business ownership to one sex only is not going to work. It's discriminatory.

[brooklynite]

20. How many clicked through to learn that the source of this accusation is...

The WASHINGTON EXAMINER, a conservative news site, which provides no actual evidence for the claim? (No arrests for what would be a serious felony).

And, needless to say, an internet “petition” will have no impact other than to collect email addresses for whichever group is sponsoring the website?

To quote Donald Trump: “suckers”.

[Oneironaut]

24. The linked site uses sources from a variety of different sites.

One of the linked articles is Newsweek, for example.

[brooklynite]

26. The Newsweek citation is from a year ago...

If no legal action has been taken to date, I guessing 1. There isn’t an actual legal case and 2. A petition today isn’t going to have any impact.

[Oneironaut]

28. This is the Newsweek article I was talking about.

https://www.newsweek.com/florida-man-arrested-after-58-porn-videos-photos-link-him-missing-underage-teen-girl-1467413

The man in that case was arrested.

[brooklynite]

30. 10/23/19...

..and no legal action against PORNHUB.

[Oneironaut]

32. Hence the problem, yes?

They hosted videos of a child being raped, and nobody there gave a shit. That’s exactly my point.

[madinmaryland]

31. Never mind. I thought Fox "News" was being shut down.

[tormadjax]

36. I know this all too well! n/t