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Pornhub operator Aylo pays Utah $5 million in FTC-backed settlement over alleged abusive-content failures

Aylo, the company formerly known as MindGeek and operator of Pornhub, agreed to a $15 million civil judgment with $5 million payable to Utah and $10 million conditionally suspended.
From TheFinanceBase Team5 min to read

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Aylo, the company formerly known as MindGeek and operator of Pornhub and other adult-content sites, must pay $5 million to Utah under a federal court-approved settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection.

The September 8, 2025 order also entered a $15 million civil judgment, with the remaining $10 million suspended conditionally. The case involved regulators’ allegations that Aylo misled users about its “zero tolerance” policies and failed to adequately prevent, review, remove, and report child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual material (NCM).

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What happened

The U.S. District Court for the District of Utah entered the stipulated order on September 8, 2025, resolving a joint civil enforcement action brought by the FTC and Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection.

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The named defendants were Aylo Group Ltd. and affiliated companies—not the Pornhub brand as a separate corporate defendant. Aylo operates Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube, Tube8, Thumbzilla, Pornhub Premium, and other sites.

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The headline “Pornhub pays $5 million to the FTC” is therefore imprecise. The immediate payment is directed to Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection. The FTC was a plaintiff and enforcement partner, but the order does not direct the $5 million payment to the FTC.

What regulators alleged

According to the FTC’s announcement and the complaint, regulators alleged a gap between Aylo’s public claims—including “zero tolerance” statements—and its practices.

  • Some user flags were not reviewed promptly or effectively.
  • Removed material could be reuploaded.
  • Uploaders associated with abusive material were not consistently banned.
  • Videos were not all reviewed before publication.
  • Required records verifying performers’ ages and identities were not consistently maintained.
  • Some titles, playlists, or partner content were alleged to involve sexual violence, minors, or non-consensual acts.
  • Major audits conducted after pressure from payment processors and media scrutiny allegedly identified tens of thousands of CSAM and NCM videos.

These are allegations from the regulators’ complaint, not findings after a contested trial. The complaint described alleged practices dating back to 2012, while the enforcement action also addressed the company’s representations about its safeguards.

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CSAM and NCM: what the terms mean

CSAM means child sexual abuse material. The court order defines it as content depicting anyone under 18 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

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NCM means non-consensual material, including forms of revenge pornography and spy-camera content. The two categories involve different circumstances and harms, but the order addresses both through prevention, consent, reporting, and removal requirements.

What Aylo must do

The order turns many of the safeguards at issue in the case into binding compliance obligations. It requires Aylo to establish a CSAM and NCM prevention program with:

Requirement What it involves
Age checks Verification that uploaders and performers are at least 18.
Consent verification Verification of written consent to the sexual conduct, production, and publication of the content.
Removal Removal of content when Aylo becomes aware that it is actual or suspected CSAM or NCM.
Consent withdrawal Procedures allowing performers to request removal after withdrawing consent.
User reporting Ways for users to report content, comments, direct messages, and suspected abusive material.
Prevention controls Policies, procedures, and technical controls designed to prevent publication and dissemination.
Privacy and security A comprehensive privacy and information-security program.
Transparency Public reports twice a year describing prevention efforts.
Independent oversight Third-party audits every two years for 10 years.

What happens to older content?

Content uploaded before the prevention program is implemented must be removed or withheld unless Aylo verifies that the people depicted were adults and consented to all three of the following:

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  1. The sexual conduct;
  2. The production of the content; and
  3. The publication of the content.

That requirement goes beyond confirming the identity of an uploader. It requires verification of both adulthood and consent at multiple stages.

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How the $15 million judgment works

The financial terms have two distinct parts:

  • $5 million: Aylo must pay Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection within seven days after entry of the order.
  • $10 million: The court suspended this portion of the judgment conditionally.

The $10 million is not an automatic second payment. Under the order, it may be revived if Aylo violates the requirements, fails to cure the violation, and a court ultimately finds the defendants in contempt. The order provides notice and a 60-day opportunity to cure before that process can lead to revocation of the suspension.

The $5 million should not be described as direct victim compensation or restitution. The order directs it to Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection and does not characterize it as individual payments to victims.

Did Aylo admit wrongdoing?

No. Aylo and the other defendants neither admitted nor denied the complaint’s allegations, except for matters specifically stated in the order. They agreed to entry of the order to resolve the dispute and waived rights to challenge its validity.

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That settlement posture matters: the order creates enforceable obligations, but it is not a criminal conviction and does not mean every allegation was proven at trial.

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What users, performers, and reporters should know

The order requires mechanisms for reporting suspected CSAM or NCM and requesting removal. Performers must also have a process to request removal when they withdraw consent. Anyone encountering suspected abusive material should use the platform’s available reporting and removal channels and contact appropriate authorities where there is an immediate safety concern.

The order does not guarantee that prohibited material will never appear. It requires safeguards intended to prevent publication, respond to reports, verify age and consent, remove material, and make the company’s efforts subject to reporting and audits.

What happens next

Aylo’s compliance obligations extend beyond the initial payment. The company must provide public reports twice each year, while independent third-party audits are required every two years for a 10-year period. The order also includes a permanent injunction against misleading representations about the company’s practices.

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The conditional $10 million remains tied to future enforcement. It can become payable only through the violation, notice, cure, and court-contempt process set out in the order.

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Why the wording matters

Calling this a fine paid by “Pornhub to the FTC” obscures three important facts: Aylo and affiliated companies were the defendants; Utah—not the FTC—is the immediate recipient of the $5 million; and the case ended in a stipulated civil order rather than a criminal judgment or trial verdict.

The settlement’s central significance is that alleged promises about content safety are now backed by court-ordered requirements covering age, identity, written consent, removal, reporting, privacy, security, transparency, and independent audits.

For the official allegations and announcement, see the FTC release. The stipulated order contains the payment, compliance, reporting, audit, and settlement terms. Utah’s Department of Commerce announcement provides the state’s summary.

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