OTTAWA (Reuters) – The operator of Pornhub.com and other adult entertainment websites broke Canadian privacy laws by letting intimate images be shared without the direct knowledge or consent of everyone depicted, an official watchdog said on Thursday.
Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne launched a probe into Montreal-based Aylo Holdings after a woman discovered that her ex-boyfriend had uploaded an intimate video and other images of her to Aylo websites without her consent.
Dufresne said Aylo must take steps to ensure that it only posted intimate images and videos with the direct knowledge and consent of everyone appearing in the content.
“The inadequate privacy protection measures on Pornhub and other Aylo sites have led to devastating consequences for the complainant and other victims of non-consensual disclosure of intimate images,” he said in a statement.
Individuals who asked Aylo to remove content were faced with an extremely onerous and ineffective process, he said. Dufresne said he had issued an number of recommendations designed to ensure Aylo obeyed Canadian privacy laws but noted the company had not committed to following any of them.
Aylo, formerly known as MindGeek, was not immediately available for comment. In December the company agreed to pay $1.8 million to the U.S. government to resolve a probe into its ties to an alleged sex trafficking operation.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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