WASHINGTON, DC (July 6, 2021) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) says that XTube’s announcement that it is shutting down in September 2021 is evidence that the pornography industry is collapsing. In operation for 13 years, XTube is a well-known pornography website that had 10.77 million visits in May 2021 alone. XTube is owned by MindGeek, and it prominently displayed itself as part of the “Pornhub Network.”
“XTube’s announced shutdown is more evidence that MindGeek’s exploitation empire is crumbling. This is welcome news, given the mounting evidence that MindGeek has hosted and profited from child sex abuse material, rape, sex trafficking, nonconsensual material, sexual violence and other racist and misogynistic sexual content on its myriad of pornography websites,” said Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. “XTube’s closure is a clear victory for the movement to hold Pornhub, MindGeek, and the pornography industry accountable for their facilitation of sexual abuse and exploitation.”
XTube operates similarly to MindGeek-owned Pornhub, and much of the pornography industry, allowing videos to be uploaded with no meaningful verification of age or consent.
“Numerous survivors have said that MindGeek refused to remove their sexual abuse and sexual assault material from Pornhub and its other porn websites; many have filed lawsuits against MindGeek, including NCOSE’s class action lawsuit on behalf of two survivors of childhood sex trafficking,” said Hawkins.
“XTube’s decision to close was not made in a vacuum. This decision comes after mounting pressure from legislators, outrage in the media, loss of mainstream corporate support, and survivors stepping forward to demand justice through lawsuits.
“We hope that XTube’s closing is a harbinger of things to come for MindGeek. We look forward to the day we can announce that Pornhub and additional MindGeek-owned pornography sites are ending,” Hawkins added.
Six civil lawsuits have been filed against MindGeek, including two class action lawsuits in the U.S. on behalf of minors, one of which was jointly filed by NCOSE and several other law firms on behalf of two survivors of childhood sex trafficking.
