PROGRESS! Judge Denies MindGeek/Pornhub's Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit

MindGeek (the parent company of Pornhub) has been DENIED its motion to dismiss a major lawsuit brought by 9 survivors and the NCOSE Law Center. These survivors were secretly filmed when they were changing in the women’s locker-room at LimeStone University, South Carolina. The spy-cam videos were then posted to PornHub and xHamster and spread throughout the world. 

The judge’s ruling is significant because it is the third time that a plaintiff in a civil action against PornHub has been able to get past initial motions to dismiss, which were based on claims of immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. It is also the first time that a case about the sexual abuse of adults (as opposed to children) has made it through a motion to dismiss. 

Learn more about the lawsuit here. 
 

📣 ACTION: Consider Donating to the NCOSE Law Center

Our survivor clients always remain free of attorney’s fees, so your support is a big part of what makes these lawsuits possible. Thank you for giving generously! 

Pornhub’s Deepfake Deception: Yet Another Way the Porn Giant Profits from Abuse

“Woah … is this you??”

That one simple text message blew my life apart. It isn’t me. I never filmed that video. It isn’t real!

But that doesn’t matter. Because it looks real. And it’s on Pornhub.*

Most of you are probably aware of how Pornhub, the internet pornography giant, has come under fire in recent years for hosting and profiting from child sexual abuse material, recorded rape/sex trafficking, and non-consensually distributed sexually explicit content. This is not new news.

However, there is another category of abusive content that Pornhub profits from at scale, which has received less attention. This is synthetic sexually explicit material (SSEM), colloquially known as “deepfake pornography.”

Read more.

📣 ACTION: Demand GitHub Stop Enabling the Creation of SSEM/Deepfake Pornography!

Pornhub profits from SSEM/deepfake pornography ... but where does the SSEM come from in the first place? How is it created?   

The answer in most cases is: Microsoft's GitHub. 

GitHub is a collaboration platform for software and Artificial Intelligence development. Unfortunately, it is also the go-to place to create SSEM. Take action now, calling on GitHub to prevent and remove SSEM! 

Calling for Corporate Change to Protect Kids Online

Guest Blog by Dawn Hawkins, NCOSE CEO, for Hopeful Mom 

As parents, we are always trying our best to protect our kids from both physical and online dangers, but it can be overwhelming when there are so many platforms and new technologies. You are already doing so much! The fact that you’re here shows that you are searching for the best ways to help protect and advocate for your children.

Still, even with great resources and the support of other concerned parents, it can be overwhelming. And it’s also not fair. These big tech companies have created platforms with ineffective, insufficient safety measures that don’t really work. They have created platforms for kids that enable grooming, sex trafficking, exposure to pornography, and the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse materials.

It shouldn’t just be the responsibility of kids or already overwhelmed parents to keep them safe online! It’s time to hold these companies accountable for the harm they have caused and demand real change. And it’s long past time for tech companies to stop prioritizing profits over child safety.

Read more about how you can hold tech companies accountable and demand more power to protect your kids.

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