One Woman’s War on P*rnhub | Laila Mickelwait | EP 503

Coming up 0s

• A study published in the British Journal of Criminology analyzed the homepages of adult content websites, including PornHub, and found that users are exposed to 50 autoplay videos upon entering the site 8s.
• Upon examining these videos, the study discovered that one in eight of the autoplay videos on PornHub's homepage displayed sexual violence, including non-consensual content 13s.
• The prevalence of non-consensual and violent content on PornHub's homepage is considered alarming and reflective of the current reality 26s.

Intro 28s

• Laila Mickelwait is a brave individual who has been waging a one-woman war against the purveyors of online porn, particularly at the site known as PornHub, and has gained plenty of allies in the process 57s.
• The discussion revolves around Laila's effective campaign against PornHub, which has been ongoing for about four years, and her efforts to raise awareness about the rampant spread of pornography that may be destroying culture 1m33s.
• The conversation also touches on the facilitation of behavior by psychopathic criminals who generate and distribute pornographic content, which is considered a civilization-threatening occurrence 2m0s.
• Laila's personal experiences and interests are also explored, including her initial attraction to the Hollywood fame machine and her subsequent realization of its soul-devouring shallowness and pursuit of narcissistic self-gratification 2m29s.
• The discussion is a mix of sociological, technological, and personal exploration, with the goal of understanding the impact of pornography on culture and society 1m45s.
• The conversation was recorded live in Fairview, Alberta, and is described as a "Voyage to the Heart of Darkness" 2m58s.

Taking on P*rnhub, “It’s actually a crime scene” 3m3s

• Laila Mickelwait has been combating the injustice of sex trafficking for 18 years and began investigating the intersection between the big porn industry and sex trafficking about 10 years ago 3m41s.
• MindGeek, a Canadian company, dominates the global porn industry, owning a virtual monopoly, and its most popular porn site is Pornhub 4m5s.
• In 2020, Pornhub was the largest and most popular porn site in the world, with 170 million visits per day, 62 billion visits that year, and 6.8 million videos uploaded to the site 5m7s.
• Pornhub was named the third most influential tech company on global society by researchers in 2020, just behind Facebook and Google, and the fifth most trafficked website in the world 5m30s.
• MindGeek owns an estimated 80% of the world's most popular porn sites and brands, including most of the world's most popular tube sites 6m2s.
• Tube sites, such as Pornhub, are user-generated content platforms where anyone can become a pornographer and upload videos 6m13s.
• Laila Mickelwait began investigating Pornhub after hearing concerning stories in the media and an investigation by the London Sunday Times found dozens of illegal videos on the site, including child sexual abuse 6m49s.
• The investigation found over a hundred instances of category A level child sexual abuse, which is the most severe level of abuse, and included videos of children as young as three years old 7m17s.
• A woman was thinking about sadistic acts of harm to children on a porn site, which led her to question the vetting process of the content, and she decided to test the upload system herself to see how easy it would be to upload content to the site 7m28s.
• She found out that it took under 10 minutes for her test video to go live on the site, which made her realize that the site was infested with videos of real sexual crime, and that PornHub was not a porn site, but a crime scene 8m24s.
• The woman realized that there is a difference between legal material and content that features children, non-consenting adults, or non-consensually uploaded videos, which is a spectrum of abuse 8m48s.
• PornHub's business model was selling ad impressions, generating 4.6 billion impressions every day, and hundreds of millions of dollars a year for its parent company, MindGeek 9m9s.
• The woman started a petition to shut down PornHub and hold its executives accountable, which gained 2.3 million signatures from every country in the world, and victims, whistleblowers, and insiders came forward to share their stories 9m49s.
• The petition and the stories shared by victims and insiders revealed that the business model of free user-generated porn was the reason why abusive content was being uploaded to the site 10m10s.
• The woman's experience with the issue led her to understand the importance of seeking wisdom and transformation, and she referenced biblical texts and the idea of seeking first the kingdom and righteousness 10m34s.
• The conversation also touched on the idea that Christianity has been supplanted by other ideologies, and the importance of opening up to stories and ideas, even in the face of doubts and apprehensions 11m10s.
• The concept of the Covenant and prophecy fulfillment is discussed in relation to the importance of balancing love and wisdom, as having one without the other can lead to going radically wrong 11m27s.
• The power of love is emphasized, despite sounding cliché, and is considered essential for the task at hand 11m36s.
• The current time is described as peculiar, and the text being discussed is also considered peculiar, raising concerns about being up to the task 11m50s.
• A question is posed about why there is not more of something, although the specific topic is not specified in this segment 11m59s.

How novelty increases dopaminergic release, the arc of perversion 12m1s

• The behavior of serial sexual killers tends to accelerate over time due to the intrinsically rewarding nature of sex, which can be heightened by novelty, leading to a dopaminergic kick 12m33s.
• This acceleration is driven by the desire to stay on the "novelty edge" to maximize gratification, and there is evidence that the same phenomenon applies to online pornography use, where users may progress from relatively vanilla displays to more graphic, kinky, and violent content 13m28s.
• This cultural trend can be seen in the history of pornography, with the borders of what is considered acceptable being pushed bit by bit, starting with the banning of novels like Lady Chatterley's Lover in the 1920s 14m10s.
• The victory of the novel's author in having the ban overturned marked the entry point of pornography into mainstream culture, according to British essayist Theodore Dalrymple 14m40s.
• The progression of pornography in popular culture can be seen in the evolution of magazines like Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler, which increasingly pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable 15m5s.
• The internet has further facilitated the expansion of pornography, with a significant portion of online traffic being driven by the desire for sexually graphic images, and it is estimated that 30-40% of internet traffic is pornographic 16m42s.
• The development of the internet was motivated in part by the desire of isolated and socially incompetent men to share sexually graphic images, and the internet has enabled the proliferation of criminal activity, making it difficult to hold people accountable 16m28s.
• The cultural trend of chasing the "novelty edge" is driven by narcissistic, psychopathic, and sadistic individuals who cannot be held accountable, leading to a negative impact on society 17m11s.

How the homepage indoctrinates you 17m20s

• Free porn tube sites, such as Pornhub and x videos, do not have age restrictions, allowing anyone, including seven-year-olds, to access their content without an 18+ clickthrough button 17m39s.
• The homepages of these sites display user-generated videos that autoplay when scrolled over, with about 50 videos visible on Pornhub's homepage 18m9s.
• A study published in the British Journal of Criminology found that one in eight of the videos on Pornhub's homepage displayed sexual violence, including non-consent and incest 18m17s.
• Exposure to violent content can desensitize individuals, reducing their anxiety and revulsion towards such acts, which can have severe consequences, especially for young people 19m38s.
• The voluntary exposure to violent content can decrease anxiety levels and make individuals braver, but in the context of sexual violence, it can lead to a reduction in revulsion and potentially harm individuals 19m48s.
• Men are more likely to use these sites due to their higher sensitivity to visual stimuli compared to women 20m12s.
• The content on these sites is not comparable to traditional adult content, such as Playboy, but rather features homemade and user-generated videos that often display violent and non-consensual acts 17m54s.

Young men are being ruined by this 20m14s

• Literary pornography is increasingly being consumed by both boys and girls at very young ages, with curiosity driving this trend 20m36s.
• A book titled "A Billion Wicked Thoughts" by Google Engineers explores the use of sex differences in the consumption of pornography and is considered a valuable resource for understanding this topic 20m40s.
• The widespread availability of online pornography has created a situation where a typical 13-year-old boy can see more nude women than any man in history, which is a powerful and potentially irresistible stimulus 20m59s.
• The impact of this exposure on relationships between young men and women is not fully understood, but there is evidence of increasing rates of virginity and a fragmenting relationship scene in countries like Japan and South Korea 21m19s.
• In Japan, approximately 30% of young people under 30 have never had any sexual encounter, and the birth rate has plummeted, although the connection between this and online pornography is unclear 21m37s.
• The effect of online pornography on young people's sexual preferences is also not well understood, and it is uncertain how exposure to this content trains their preferences 22m7s.
• The technology of online pornography is considered "insanely powerful" and potentially cataclysmic, with significant implications for society 22m18s.

Women-machine hybrids: how technology and monetization creates a nightmare 22m23s

• The concept of women participating in online platforms like PornHub can be misleading, as they are not just women, but rather women-machine hybrids, due to the technological capabilities that allow them to be in multiple places at once 22m23s.
• This idea also applies to sites like Only Fans, where women are transformed into images that can be propagated everywhere, representing a significant technological revolution 22m50s.
• The ability to monetize one's beauty on these platforms can be tempting, especially for young women, as a small proportion of them can make a substantial amount of money in a way that appears easy and draws a lot of attention 23m3s.
• This can be particularly appealing to individuals with a narcissistic personality or those who are isolated and lonely, as it provides a means to gain attention 23m18s.
• The combination of technology and monetization on these platforms creates a problematic situation that can have negative consequences 23m25s.

Accountability — they refuse to properly moderate adult content 23m29s

• The focus of the work is on underage victims, victims of rape, sex trafficking, and non-consensual image abuse that are proliferating on sites like PornHub, which have made intentional policy decisions to distribute such content 23m49s.
• PornHub owns most of the world's most popular tube sites and has a significant number of videos uploaded to it every year, but it only hired 30 moderators to review the content, with 10 moderators working at a time 24m47s.
• These moderators were reprimanded if they viewed less than 700 videos per eight-hour shift, and some were watching up to 2,000 videos per eight-hour shift, often with the sound off, without verifying ID or age, and playing a guessing game with real people's lives 24m58s.
• This lack of moderation is not unique to PornHub, as all of the porn tube sites had a similar approach, with only 10 moderators, compared to Facebook's 15,000 moderators 25m26s.
• The moderators' job was to allow as much content to go through as possible, as content is king for the porn tube sites, which need massive amounts of content to drive Google searches, traffic, and sell advertising 25m52s.
• The company's intentional decision to prioritize content over moderation has led to the proliferation of criminal content, including crime scenes, non-consenting adults, and victims of sex trafficking and abuse 23m42s.

Criminal activity in pay-to-download content 26m9s

• The porn industry's business model is largely based on premium subscriptions, allowing users to pay for exclusive content, including pay-to-download material, which was a small portion of the content on PornHub 26m28s.
• An example of a victim in pay-to-download content is a 12-year-old boy from Alabama who was drugged, overpowered, and raped in 23 videos by Rocky Shay Franklin, which were sold on PornHub through a profit-sharing relationship 26m50s.
• Despite multiple requests from the police to remove the videos, they remained on the site for seven months, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, and were intentionally made downloadable by PornHub 27m15s.
• The intentional download button on every piece of content on PornHub allowed users to possess and transfer the content, including illegal and criminal material, onto their devices 27m24s.
• This led to the "immortalization of trauma" for victims, where their experiences were filmed, uploaded, monetized, and globally distributed, causing long-lasting harm 27m56s.
• Victims had to beg PornHub to remove their videos, and even then, they were often hassled and required to prove they were underage or victims, with some emails showing the begging and pleading from victims 28m26s.
• PornHub had a policy requiring users to flag a video 15 times before it would be reviewed, and with only one employee reviewing videos five days a week, there was a backlog of 76,000 flagged videos 29m9s.
• This led to a situation where victims' videos might not be reviewed or removed, and even if they were, they could be re-uploaded again, causing further harm and leading some victims to become suicidal 29m35s.
• The stakes are high for victims, with surveys showing that 50% of victims of non-consensual sexual image distribution have suicidal ideations, and many consider or attempt suicide 29m54s.

Forced to remove 91% of their content 30m27s

• A significant effort has been made to hold PornHub accountable, resulting in the removal of 91% of their content, from 56 million pieces down to 5.2 million, thanks to the help of many people 30m33s.
• The credit card companies, including Visa and Mastercard, have cut ties with PornHub after a multi-year battle, which was a crucial step in preventing the monetization of illegal content, including trafficking and child sexual abuse 30m55s.
• The Trafficking Hub movement, consisting of 600 organizations, lawyers, journalists, and survivors, has played a significant role in bringing attention to the issue and pushing for change 31m16s.
• The battle to get credit card companies on board involved providing evidence of their involvement in enabling the monetization of illegal content, with some conversations recounted in the book "Takedown" 31m37s.
• A federal judge in California has stated that Visa gave PornHub the tools to complete the crime of knowingly benefiting from child trafficking, and Visa is currently being sued by survivors for their relationship with PornHub 32m3s.
• An explosive article by Nicholas Kristoff in The New York Times in 2020 helped increase pressure on credit card companies to cut ties with PornHub, but it took another two-year battle to finally get them to do so 32m12s.
• Bill Ackman was a significant help in the effort, using his influence to contact the CEO of MasterCard and push for change, and even appearing on CNBC's Squawkbox to call out Al Kelly, the CEO of Visa 32m51s.

Why the credit card companies participated — and how they were forced to stop 33m20s

• Credit card companies, including Visa, initially claimed to be concerned about human trafficking but did nothing to stop it, despite evidence of illegal and non-consensual material on PornHub, and instead asked for more information to be sent to them, citing that they are not in the business of policing legal and consensual material 33m55s.
• Visa sent a letter stating they wouldn't take action, but they are currently being sued by dozens of child victims in California, and they lost their motion to dismiss the case in 2022 34m28s.
• The combination of Visa losing their motion to dismiss, public pressure, and litigation ultimately forced Visa to announce that they would cut off PornHub, followed by MasterCard and Discover 34m49s.
• PornHub is now being funded through cryptocurrency and bank wires 34m58s.
• Victims are holding PornHub accountable by suing them, with almost 300 victims in 25 lawsuits across the US, Canada, and the UK, including multiple class-action lawsuits on behalf of tens of thousands of child victims 35m12s.
• The work of organizations and others has led to financial accountability, radically decreasing the number of files PornHub can utilize and making it more difficult for them to monetize their content, with a 90% decrease in files 35m42s.
• Some US states have instituted more rigorous age check rules, which PornHub has objected to, but the money is still pouring in, and the only way to stop this is to make the risk too high by increasing it sufficiently and eliminating the benefit 36m21s.

“The Zuckerberg of p*rn”: naming the executives and secret shareholders 36m32s

• The former owner of PornHub, referred to as the "Zuckerberg of porn," came forward to expose the company's secret shareholders, revealing the name of the man he sold the company to, Bernd Bergm, an Austrian living in London and Hong Kong 38m6s.
• Bergm is being sued personally, along with the CEO and COO of PornHub, who are also minority shareholders, as a result of being "unmasked" 38m30s.
• The executives behind PornHub have not been criminally charged yet, but they should be, considering the severity of the crimes committed, including the transmission and monetization of child pornography and child sexual abuse material 38m52s.
• In Canada, section 6 31.1 of the criminal code makes it illegal to transmit, possess, advertise, or monetize child pornography and child sexual abuse material, carrying serious sentences, but this law is not being enforced 39m0s.
• The former owner of PornHub was instrumental in creating the company's image as a mainstream and legitimate brand, spending millions of dollars on promotional campaigns and philanthropic efforts, such as "PornHub Cares" 37m38s.
• A journalist from the UK investigated and found Bergm, leading to him being sued personally, and the company's executives being held accountable for their actions 38m19s.

Abigail Shrier, Michael Shellenberger: getting past disbelief 40m4s

• Abigail Shrier, who wrote the book "Irreversible Damage," and Michael Shellenberger, a US journalist, were guests on a podcast discussing the dark side of the internet and the effects of pornography on society 40m5s.
• Shellenberger broke the story on X, exposing a group for their wrongdoings, and later discussed the barbaric and brutal nature of certain surgeries, comparing them to the atrocities committed in Unit 731 in China and the death camps in Germany 40m22s.
• Shellenberger initially couldn't believe the details of the story, highlighting the tendency for people to avoid confronting uncomfortable truths, especially when it comes to the widespread consumption of sadistic and hedonistic pornography 40m30s.
• The massive problem of internet traffic being dominated by pornography is often overlooked, with people turning a blind eye to the harm it causes to children and victims of exploitation 41m17s.
• Moral complacency also plays a role, as many people are reluctant to examine their own behavior and the widespread use of pornography 41m57s.
• The issue of pornography is not likely to be addressed voluntarily, but rather will require force and concerted effort, as seen in the battle against credit card companies and the takedown of content on PornHub 42m19s.
• The anonymity of the internet allows people to engage in pathological behavior without consequences, contributing to the destructive potential of the technological revolution 42m42s.
• The combination of these factors suggests that the technological revolution may have a civilization-destroying element, with a percentage of the population engaging in destructive behavior 42m58s.

Psychopathic pathology and invisibility online 43m2s

• Approximately 5% of people worldwide fall into the psychopathic sadistic histrionic category, which can be thought of as an evolutionary niche where exploitative individuals can find victims and propagate themselves with some degree of effectiveness 43m6s.
• These individuals are classically without conscience and can be described as temperamentally aggressive people who haven't progressed beyond the moral standards of a 2-year-old 43m42s.
• The anonymity of the internet and its international nature make it nearly impossible to hold psychopathic sadists accountable for their actions, as they are often monetized and promoted instead 44m5s.
• A key definition of sadism is the delight in unnecessary suffering of others, and these individuals are not being held to account for their actions 44m17s.
• One potential solution to this issue is verification, which involves removing anonymity from those who upload content and those who appear in videos 44m33s.
• This approach could help prevent psychopathic sadists from exploiting and harming others online 44m36s.

Anonymity’s pros and major cons 44m48s

• The issue of online anonymity has been criticized due to the presence of individuals with dark tetrad traits, such as psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism, who often engage in trolling behavior while hiding behind anonymity 44m49s.
• The argument that anonymity is necessary for whistleblowers is countered by the fact that for every one anonymous whistleblower, there are many more pathological and sadistic individuals using anonymity for malicious purposes 45m32s.
• Verifying one's ID to reduce anonymity has been proposed, but this method is not foolproof, as anyone with basic photo editing skills can create a fake ID 45m52s.
• The idea of a reliable digital ID is also problematic, as seen in China, where digital ID has contributed to a totalitarian state with excessive surveillance 46m12s.
• The implementation of digital ID has raised concerns about the potential for a totalitarian state, symbolized by the all-seeing eye, which is a characteristic of such regimes 46m23s.
• The problem of balancing anonymity with accountability is complex, and the proposed solution of verification may not be effective in addressing the issue, particularly in the context of online platforms such as porn sites 46m40s.

Proposing ID and age verification for those who upload and for those in adult content 46m45s

• Proposing ID and age verification for those who upload and for those in adult content is a necessary step to prevent the spread of criminal content, including videos of children and underage teens, on platforms like Pornhub. 46m45s
• The technology to verify an ID and match it with a face using a biometric scan is already available, and companies like Yoti have developed solutions that can be used for this purpose. 46m51s
• The proposed verification process would involve uploading an ID, going through a biometric scan, and then deleting the information immediately once the age is verified. 47m8s
• This process would also help address some of the consent issues, as individuals would have to present their ID and go through the verification process. 47m16s
• The idea of verifying the age of those in adult content is not new, as the US has had a law called USC 2257 since 1988, which requires the traditional brick-and-mortar porn industry to verify the age of individuals in pornographic videos. 47m39s
• The traditional porn industry has complied with this requirement, but the law has not been applied to the online porn industry, despite the availability of technology and legal solutions. 48m7s
• The main obstacle to implementing age verification is the resistance from companies that do not want to put restrictions on uploading content, as it may lead to less content and less revenue. 48m43s
• Government legislation is necessary to enforce age verification, as companies are not willing to take action on their own. 49m1s

Why Laila took on the p*rn industry, “pain with a purpose” 49m6s

• Laila Mickelwait, 41, has been working on the problem of child trafficking and sex trafficking for 15 years, starting when she was 26 years old 49m51s.
• Her father, a vascular and general surgeon, was a huge influence on her, instilling in her a sense of social responsibility and a focus on human rights issues from a young age 50m11s.
• Laila's father grew up in Jordan, then moved to England, India, and eventually the United States, where he became a surgeon 50m27s.
• Laila initially pursued a career in the entertainment industry, working as an entertainment contract attorney and attending parties in Hollywood, including one at the Playboy Mansion 51m35s.
• However, she found the lifestyle to be hollow and unfulfilling, and eventually hit a low point in her life, partying, doing drugs, and experiencing a traumatic incident 52m42s.
• This experience led her to re-evaluate her life and eventually return to her roots, focusing on social justice and human rights issues 51m10s.
• Laila's work on child trafficking and sex trafficking has been challenging and difficult for her and her family, but she finds it worthwhile due to the progress she has seen 49m24s.
• The individual experienced a low point in their life, marked by romantic heartbreak, a bad car accident, and depression, which led to a moment of rock bottom in their early 20s 53m19s.
• During this time, they drew a picture of a flower in a deep pit with rain pouring down and water filling up the pit, symbolizing their emotional state 54m22s.
• The individual felt inspired to read their childhood Bible and opened it to a Psalm that described their picture, with words that resonated with their emotions, such as "do not let the flood waters overwhelm me" 54m47s.
• The flower is a symbol of the soul, representing its unfolding and growth, as seen in various spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and Christianity 56m9s.
• The pit in the picture represents a bottomless pit or hell, while the water symbolizes the return of chaos and uncertainty, as seen in the story of Noah's flood 56m36s.
• The individual's experience led them to seek hope and stability, and they found solace in their faith and the Bible 56m59s.
• A person had a mental image of a hole with a flower in it and water pouring down, threatening to drown the flower, symbolizing a state of chaos that can be deadly, partly due to anxiety and partly due to hopelessness 57m2s.
• This image is compared to the story of Noah's flood, where the descendants of sinners bring about the flood due to their hedonistic, self-centered, immature, exploitative, authoritarian, resentful, envious, and vicious behavior 57m20s.
• The story of Noah's flood represents chaos, which is often symbolized as water, as it can be both a place of possibility and a place where one can drown 57m45s.
• The person had this image come to mind and then read a verse from the Bible, which made them feel like there was something bigger than them present in their darkest moment 58m1s.
• The person grew up in a Christian home but had gone away from that for a time, and reading the verse brought back their impulse to turn to their faith 58m11s.
• The story of Jonah is also mentioned, where Jonah runs away from his conscience and is told by God to preach to the city of his enemy, but he refuses and ends up in a boat that encounters a storm 58m42s.
• Jonah is swallowed by a beast from the abyss, spends three days in darkness, repents, and is then visited by God, after which he preaches the words that redeem the city of Nineveh 59m22s.
• The person is compared to Jonah, being referred to as a prophet, as they both had a similar experience of being visited by a higher power in their darkest moment 59m39s.

Developing spirituality and finding true purpose in service 59m41s

• A turning point in life led to a realization that true happiness and purpose come from serving others, rather than focusing on selfish ambitions 59m56s.
• This understanding was influenced by the book "Inspiration" by Dr. Wayne Dyer, which helped develop a spiritual perspective 1h0m5s.
• Focusing on oneself can lead to feelings of anxiety, fear, and misery, which are statistically and conceptually similar 1h0m52s.
• Immature individuals tend to focus on themselves, whereas mature people focus on their friends, family, community, and the future 1h1m7s.
• A sense of higher purpose and orientation can bring hope and a sense of direction 1h1m31s.
• Getting married at 27 and having two children, a son and a daughter, has brought immense joy and is considered the best thing that has happened in life 1h1m50s.
• Having children is the antithesis of the disposable sexuality and immediate gratification often associated with pornography 1h2m10s.
• The influence of a father figure can have a profound impact on a person's life, and girls without a father may experience premature puberty 1h2m35s.
• A father's influence can help shape a person's values and direction in life, and in this case, the father's influence led to a realization of the importance of serving others 1h2m52s.
• A documentary about child trafficking in Kolkata, India, shown by the father, had a profound impact and led to a desire to make a positive difference 1h3m22s.
• The investigation into a particular crime began after researching and watching a documentary about child sex trafficking, which was not widely discussed at the time 1h3m32s.
• The crime of child sex trafficking caught attention due to its extreme nature, being considered the worst possible thing, and the combination of innocence and devastation of that innocence 1h4m25s.
• The realization of the existence of modern-day slavery, which was thought to be gone, was shocking and drew attention to investigate and learn more 1h4m57s.
• The investigation was driven by a sense of horror and a need to understand the issue, which aligns with the alchemical rule "inquinilinus inventor," meaning what you most need will be found where you least want to look 1h5m43s.
• The willingness to look into the crime despite its disturbing nature may be attributed to a personal realization of the loss of one's own innocence 1h6m24s.
• The progression of the investigation was a result of a moment of conscience and a vision that compelled further action 1h4m0s.
• The crime of child sex trafficking is considered a form of modern-day slavery, which was not widely known or discussed at the time of the investigation 1h5m3s.
• The investigation was also driven by a sense of responsibility to act upon the knowledge gained, rather than ignoring it 1h6m12s.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel’s “The Man Show” — what’s wrong with Hollywood 1h6m34s

• The individual was initially attracted to the Hollywood lifestyle due to their background as an acrobat, having started training at the age of eight and being accepted into Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, although their father did not allow them to join the circus 1h6m34s.
• They became involved with a local acrobatic group, where they met a friend who was a pole dancer and an accomplished acrobat, and through this connection, they were invited to appear on Jimmy Kimmel's "The Man Show" 1h7m7s.
• The individual started performing on the trampoline in a bikini on "The Man Show" for a few hundred dollars, which led to them meeting different people and eventually becoming part of the counter culture 1h7m21s.
• The circus was seen as the pinnacle of achievement for an acrobat at the time, as acrobatics was not an Olympic sport, and being accepted into a circus was considered the highest quality possible 1h8m17s.
• The individual's trajectory into Hollywood began with their appearance on "The Man Show" and their connections in the acrobatic and counter culture communities 1h8m33s.
• The world of circuses and counter culture is described as having a dark side, with "dark forces" lurking behind the scenes, drawing parallels to the plot of Pinocchio and the idea of a seemingly innocent pursuit of pleasure hiding underlying horrors 1h7m51s.

The laws are sufficient, they need to be enforced 1h8m42s

• The current laws governing what is definable as legal pornography are sufficient, particularly with regard to child exploitation, and need to be enforced rather than altered 1h9m26s.
• There are powerful, underutilized sex trafficking statutes in the United States and Canada that need to be enforced, especially in the case of PornHub and MindGeek 1h9m40s.
• In the United States and Canada, it is illegal to knowingly benefit from a sex trafficking venture, and PornHub and MindGeek need to be criminally held accountable 1h9m50s.
• To address non-consensual image-based abuse, such as revenge porn, existing laws could be strengthened 1h10m15s.
• The emergence of AI-generated pornography, including deepfakes and AI-generated child images, could be addressed through mandatory third-party age and consent verification for every individual and user-generated porn image or video on websites that enable the distribution of user-generated porn 1h10m25s.
• Implementing mandatory third-party age and consent verification could make a huge dent in solving the problem of online sexual exploitation across the internet 1h11m3s.
• Financial institutions, such as Visa and MasterCard, need to implement anti-online sexual exploitation policies, similar to anti-money laundering policies, to prevent websites from distributing user-generated porn without verifying the age and consent of every individual involved 1h11m25s.
• If financial institutions implement such policies, it could lead to a transformation of the issue across the globe, as companies like PornHub are highly motivated to comply to avoid losing business 1h11m56s.
• The deletion of 91% of PornHub's content after Visa and MasterCard disengaged from the website demonstrates the effectiveness of financial institutions in driving change 1h12m11s.

How you can help spread awareness 1h13m6s

• Viewers can follow Laila Mickelwait on Twitter at @LailaMickelwait to stay updated on her endeavors against PornHub 1h13m15s.
• Sharing posts on social media can have a significant impact, as it can lead to increased awareness and even inspire victims to come forward and whistleblowers to share important information 1h13m42s.
• Signing the petition at TraffickingHubPetition.com can help generate media attention and pressure, with over 2.3 million people from around the world already having signed 1h14m21s.
• People can follow organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to stay informed about the issue 1h14m42s.
• Reading the book "Take Down" can provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue, with 100% of the proceeds going to support the cause through the Justice Defense Fund 1h15m21s.
• Joining Team Takedown by visiting TakedownBook.com allows individuals to commit to taking down PornHub and preventing illegal content across the internet 1h15m31s.
• All relevant links will be provided in the video description for easy access 1h15m55s.