Federal privacy watchdog heads to court over Pornhub operator’s consent practices

Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne is taking legal action against the operator of the Pornhub website in an effort to ensure compliance with Canadian privacy laws. This move comes a year after Dufresne found that Aylo, the Montreal-based company behind Pornhub and other adult websites, violated privacy laws by allowing intimate images to be shared without the explicit knowledge or consent of individuals.

The investigation into Aylo, previously known as MindGeek, was prompted by a complaint from a woman whose ex-partner had uploaded a private video and other images of her to Aylo websites without her permission. Dufresne’s findings revealed that inadequate privacy protection measures on Pornhub and other Aylo sites had resulted in serious consequences for the complainant and other victims.

Following his investigation, Dufresne made a series of recommendations aimed at bringing Aylo in line with Canada’s private-sector privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Despite these recommendations, Aylo reportedly disagreed with the conclusions and did not commit to implementing the suggested changes.

In response to the investigation, Aylo did make some changes to its privacy practices and consent verification processes. However, Dufresne maintains that the company’s current practices still do not adequately ensure that all individuals featured in videos on their platforms have given meaningful consent.

In a statement released on Monday, Dufresne emphasized the importance of protecting individuals’ privacy rights, stating that “privacy is a fundamental right and individuals must be protected.” Despite these concerns, Aylo has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.

As this legal battle unfolds, it highlights the ongoing challenges faced by regulators in ensuring that online platforms adhere to privacy laws and protect the personal information of their users. It serves as a reminder of the importance of robust privacy measures in the digital age and the need for companies to prioritize the protection of individuals’ personal data.