Disha Mitra
Visa is set to stop processing payments for Pornhub’s advertising arm.
Source: Fin extra
This week, adult video website Pornhub had to face a rather serious setback. Reportedly, this is as credit card company Visa took the decision to halt the acceptance of payments to its advertising segment- TrafficJunky. Towards the end of 2020, the company put a stop to its credit card services with the website.
Turns out, the halt was owing to revelations showing Pornhub circulated child pornography, along with content depicting sex trafficking. Currently, Visa is extending the halt to TrafficJunky as an answer to a filed lawsuit. According to the suit, the credit card company allowed Pornhub to gain from the videos on child pornography.
The chief executive of the credit card giant, Alfred Kelly provided a statement regarding this new development. He stated how the suspension of Visa benefits to TrafficJunky would be in accordance to the court’s verdict till any future developments.
Additionally, the halt would include any other advertising agents associated with the parent company of Pornhub, MindGeek. On the other hand, Kelly stated how the credit card giant is putting in place an exception from this rule. This would be the ability to utilise Visa on MindGeek studio pages that include professional adult actors in this video industry.
What could this development lead to?
This halt put forward by Visa may lead to a deeper hollow in the business of MindGeek. At the moment, Pornhub takes payments solely through the means of cryptocurrency and fund transfers. Clearly, this comes as an added struggle for customers to pay for the site’s premium subscription.
The announcement from the CEO regarding the development came following a US court’s denial to the company’s plea to dismiss the suit. According to the lawsuit, the credit company went on processing payments for the site despite the awareness of Pornhub’s alleged link to child porn. This suit came from Serena Fleitus who fell victim to her boyfriend made a sexually explicit video of her when she was 13, and posting it on the adult video website.
Though it may take years for the court to come to a decision, Visa currently holds firm disagreements towards the judge’s call to refuse the dismissal of the case. The CEO stated how the company fell victim to mischaracterisation of its actions, values and roles, and how the accusations contradict Visa’s morals.
Additionally, Visa is planning to present proof in court depicting its side on the entire situation, proving its focus on the maintenance of its users’ and its own values.