MindGeek, the owner of PornHub and many other adult entertainment websites, including Brazzers and Redtube, has been purchased by a Canadian private equity company, Ethical Capital Partners (ECP).

ECP, established last year, kept the agreement’s specifics under wraps.

Let’s find out more!

A Fresh Start for the Porn Giant

Ethical Capital Partners (ECP) has announced its recent acquisition of MindGeek, a technology and media company that owns a sizable portfolio of adult entertainment properties.

These include Pornhub, Redtube, Brazzers, Men.com, Sean Cody, YouPorn, Trans Angels, and Nutaku.

ECP is a private equity firm managed by a multidisciplinary team with experience in regulation, law enforcement, public engagement, and finance.

MindGeek is a cutting-edge digital company that oversees some of the world’s most well-known adult entertainment websites.

The most comprehensive library of top-notch adult films, the most user-friendly viewing experience, and the best variety of award-winning adult content and performers can all be found on MindGeek platforms.

MindGeek’s platforms have advanced to the forefront of Trust & Safety by utilizing industry-leading compliance and content moderation processes, with a focus on supporting its community and freedom of speech.

In addition to implementing compliance methods that are more stringent than those of other internet platforms, MindGeek is dedicated to providing great adult entertainment created by and for consenting adults on platforms that set the bar for trust and safety.

With ECP, the new owner of PornHub’s assistance, the firm will continue studying and adopting the most up-to-date and effective online safety practices.

This is in order to maintain its position as a global leader in trust and safety and to maintain its platforms as inclusive, sex-positive environments for adults.

ECP’s interest in MindGeek Came From Their Beliefs in the Company’s Prospects

ECP’s partners and advisors want to make sure MindGeek’s platforms are at the forefront of innovation, trust, and safety on the internet and continue to be home to an inclusive global community of adult creators, performers, artists, and users celebrating creative and sexual expression.

Apart from this, ECP believes that the internet should be secure for everyone, with child safety, intimate image security, and digital self-determination as the main focus.

Therefore, MindGeek must take the lead in the fight against illicit content on the internet.

Furthermore, ECP will build on the success that MindGeek has been able to achieve by investing in top-tier content providers, security systems, and audience interaction.

MindGeek Ongoing Troubles

The ECP purchase comes after a difficult few years for the major porn company. In June 2022, MindGeek’s CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo both left the company.

That aside, the company has been dealing with multiple lawsuits. This includes sex trafficking and the allegation that it purposefully profited from materials including child sex abuse material (CSAM).

In the ongoing litigation, it is alleged that MindGeek, Visa, and others broke a number of laws. This includes the California Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).

The allegations are based on a pornographic video that featured the plaintiff, a young teenager at the time, and was published on Pornhub. Despite knowing the film was unlawful, Pornhub allegedly took weeks to remove it.

This allowed it to be downloaded and re-uploaded numerous times, generating cash from advertisements in the process.

Laws like SESTA and FOSTA passed in the U.S. present a big threat to MindGeek and the online porn industry overall. These laws made an exception to Section 230, making online platforms responsible for helping with prostitution and trafficking, which has made credit card companies anxious about breaking the law.

Today, payment and credit card firms like PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, and Discover no longer process payments on sites like Pornhub.

In December 2020, the platform removed all unverified content, and anyone who appears in a user-uploaded video will now need to prove their identity.

Platforms like OnlyFans are now adhering to similar standards as a defensive measure against non-consensual content.

Only time will tell if the new owner of PornHub has adhered to its principles and delivered on their promises. Let’s see where it takes us!

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