Pornhub will require proof of consent from all performers

As of next week, Pornhub will require proof of consent for all performers in videos uploaded to the site, in addition to submitting IDs.

The porn platform has required verification to upload content since December 2020, following a New York Times opinion piece about child sex abuse material on the site. Afterwards, Pornhub wiped all unverified videos and introduced these new rules. The verification process requires uploads of ID photos and a live face scan.

Previously, when Pornhub models had co-performers in videos with them, they were required to keep records — like release forms, photos of IDs, and photos of the co-performers holding IDs to their faces — of everyone in the video. Last month, Pornhub added the requirement of submitting co-performers' IDs for approval before uploading a video with someone new, 404 Media reported. As of Jan. 23, Pornhub will now require submission of proof of consent as well.

Pornhub explained the change in an email to models, which Mashable obtained: "Effective January 23, 2024, in addition to providing Co-Performer IDs, we will require proof of consent, such as Signed Release Forms, to be uploaded when you [Pornhub models] add a new Co-Performer to your Model account."

The site went on to clarify that models don't need to provide release forms for co-performers that have already appeared in videos, but it's recommended that they're uploaded too, as it will prepare performers "as [Pornhub's] compliance requirements evolve over time."

"As industry leaders, we have and continue to set new and higher standards for Trust and Safety policies and procedures. This means that we regularly review and make important updates to them," Pornhub said to Mashable in an emailed statement. "We are expanding our Co-Performer Verification requirements to be put into effect over the course of the coming months."

Pornhub went on to say that submitting these documents (linking to a page about co-performer verification tools) isn't a new requirement for verified models, but it's "a new way for [Pornhub] to verify compliance with existing requirements." 

"Like other major content platforms, we recognize the evolving challenges posed by user-generated content online," Pornhub said in its statement. "In response to these challenges, Aylo [Pornhub's parent company, formerly MindGeek] has made (and will continue to make) significant changes to how it processes and accepts content produced by verified content creators."

Pornhub has been in the news as of late for other reasons — specifically, blocking U.S. states in protest of age-verification laws, which require viewers to upload their IDs to view explicit content. As of publication, Pornhub has blocked access from Utah, Mississippi, Virginia, Arkansas, and most recently North Carolina and Montana.