The Online Sex Hunting Ground: From Pornhub to the Undercurrent of Human Trafficking—Uncovering the Truth Behind the World's Largest Pornography Platform

8 clicks, and the predation designed by the rules begins:
The so-called "user uploads" are actually the scars of countless victims' real trauma, permanently preserved and repeatedly consumed.

▍Pornhub receives over 130 million daily visitors, with traffic even surpassing the combined total of Netflix, Amazon, and Yahoo!, earning it a reputation as a highly influential "tech" platform. On such a platform, anyone can upload any video with just eight clicks—no identity verification required, no confirmation of consent from those appearing in the video. For perpetrators, it's a convenient upload mechanism; for victims, it's an endless cycle of secondary victimization.

Innumerable private images of women sexually exploited during their teenage years have circulated on Pornhub for years, continuously rewatched. Even when victims personally request deletion, related content continues to be downloaded and shared, while the platform profits immensely from traffic and advertising revenue. These are not isolated oversights but rather a long-standing, profit-driven system of rules.

These long-standing systemic loopholes support a predatory business mechanism with annual revenues reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. Dominating everything from the shadows is a vast corporate empire established by founder Fabian Thylmann and later taken over by CEO Feras Antoon; the company's mysterious major shareholder, Bernd Bergmair, was even found to have been hidden for years in London's most expensive neighborhood.

Pornhub's parent company, MindGeek, outwardly claims to have content moderation mechanisms, but in reality, it employs only a very small number of moderators to handle the immense amount of content across all its "tube" (user upload) websites. Under pressure for performance and speed, moderation becomes a mere formality, with images of child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking being overlooked, and cries for help being blocked.

Anti-human trafficking expert Laila Mickelwait, through keen observation, unexpectedly uncovered the true nature of this digital hell. She launched the global petition "Traffickinghub" to shut down Pornhub and teamed up with top Wall Street lawyer Mike Bowes, Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof, and billionaire Bill Ackman to compel financial institutions such as Visa, Mastercard, and Discover Card to cut ties with the platform. In December 2020, under immense pressure, MindGeek was forced to delete as many as 10.6 million videos and over 30 million images, accounting for about 80% of its total content; the FBI immediately launched a criminal investigation. Subsequently, the CEO and COO both resigned in 2022...

Through the testimonies of named victims, we see how structural predation destroys real lives; through the revelations of whistleblowers, we first understand the operating logic of this platform; through Laila's journey of action, we witness how one person can combine legal, media, and congressional power to force financial institutions to draw a line and shake the foundations of multinational corporations. More importantly, through the collective action of countless ordinary people, we see how giants are forced to bow their heads.

This book ultimately points to the critical role of citizen action and legal litigation in combating digital sexual exploitation and safeguarding victims' justice. Pornhub is not an isolated case. In an era where information freedom and corporate responsibility clash fiercely, how will this battle end?

Laila answered with action.

[Warning: This book contains explicit descriptions of sexual violence, which are necessary to convey the true events.]

【Jointly Recommended】(In alphabetical order by surname)
De-Lian Kong Senior Reporter, The Reporter 
Nien-Hsuan Fang Associate Professor, Department of Journalism, National Chengchi University
Yi-Ching Chen Professor, Graduate Institute for Gender Studies, Shih Hsin University
Ming-Ching Chen Lawyer, You Sheng Law Firm; Standing Supervisor, Digital Women's League
Yu-Chia Lu Writer 

【Acclaim】
◆In Laila Mickelwait, the evil porn magnates have met their match. This indignant book exposes the darkest corners of the internet in a shocking yet hopeful way.
──Edward Lucas, Author, Investigative Journalist, Former Senior Editor of The Economist

◆In "Traffickinghub", Mickelwait has given us what every generation desperately needs: an honest story, humanized, about how we face life with unflinching love and unyielding hope. A book I couldn't put down!
──Gary Haugen, Founder and CEO of International Justice Mission, Author of "The Locust Effect"

◆"Traffickinghub" is a thrilling and inspiring account of Laila Mickelwait's relentless leadership in the fight against Pornhub's dark empire. This story of triumph is a must-read for anyone who wants to change the world.
──Gerald Posner, Lawyer, Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Author of "Case Closed" and "God's Bankers"

◆In this true crime thriller, a courageous young mother leads a boycott against the world's largest porn company and against respectable corporations like Visa and Mastercard who knowingly profit from the global sale of sex crime videos. The fight is not over, but justice has been served for many victims.
──Dr. Judith Herman, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Author of "Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice"

◆"Traffickinghub" is a story of greed and exploitation, a searing indictment of the world's darkest industry, and reads like a gripping thriller.
──Rosanna Arquette, American Actress and #MeToo Movement Advocate

◆Laila Mickelwait is dedicated to stopping human traffickers and enslavers who profit illicitly online. The internet may be a lawless digital paradise for traffickers, but "Traffickinghub" is the future's anti-pornography battle manual.
──Kevin Bales, Professor of Contemporary Slavery, University of Nottingham, Pulitzer Prize Nominated Author, Author of "Disposable People"

◆"Traffickinghub" is a story of courageous resistance, with Mickelwait fighting against the world's most powerful companies on behalf of society's most vulnerable. If you want to understand the issues of child abuse and human trafficking, and see how society can unite to protect women and children, then you must read this book.
──Rachael Denhollander, Lawyer, Survivor Leader instrumental in bringing former US Olympic gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar to justice, Author of "What's a Girl Worth?"