Pornhub parent MindGeek changing its name as new owners seek ‘fresh start’

Pornhub’s shadowy guardian firm MindGeek stated it’s altering its identify as its new owners seek a “fresh start” for the scandal-ridden smut empire.

MindGeek — which has confronted scrutiny lately for allegedly internet hosting content material involving revenge porn, little one intercourse abuse, and victims of sex-trafficking — is rebranding to the identify “Aylo” successfully instantly, the corporate stated.

The “Aylo” identify is more likely to result in some head-scratching — however an organization spokesperson stated the phrase was chosen particularly as a result of it doesn’t have a which means and may’t be discovered within the dictionary.

“We needed a contemporary begin, so we opted for a reputation that gave us that freedom, in order that our staff and our new house owners may outline it how we would like,” the corporate stated.

The brand new branding and brand is ready to roll out throughout all firm communications and digital platforms.

Moral Capital Companions, the Canadian buyout agency that purchased MindGeek last March, stated it opted to vary the corporate’s identify after assembly with staff and different “exterior stakeholders” who spoke out in favor of a rebrand.

“We heard from the staff that they wanted a contemporary begin,” Moral Capital’s vice chairman of public engagement Sarah Bain stated in a press release.

“On the similar time, ECP additionally dedicated to be extra current in conversations that impression Aylo’s enterprise, together with plans to right info and public notion concerning the firm, who they’re, and the way they current themselves to the world,” Bain added.

Moral Capital Companions is within the midst of a sweeping marketing campaign to make Pornhub and its associates extra palatable to the mainstream public. The hassle has included repeated public assurances by Moral Capital representatives concerning the agency’s dedication to a “zero tolerance” coverage on unlawful movies.

As The Post reported earlier this week, Moral Capital not too long ago promoted Alexzandra Kekesi, Pornhub’s former advertising director, to a brand new position as head of group and model.

Kekesi will spearhead the location’s inventive route and outreach to its community of porn stars, in addition to Pornhub’s dealing with of key public issues, corresponding to Instagram’s decision to permanently ban its account last fall.

Kekesi welcomed the rebrand in a press release obtained by The Submit.

“My colleagues and I are proud to work at Aylo and we’re keen to construct this model as a tech chief,” Kekesi stated. “Beneath this new banner, we are going to proceed to decide to our core values of consent, freedom of sexual expression, authenticity, originality and variety.”

Except for Pornhub, the corporate’s portfolio contains a number of porn manufacturers, together with YouPorn, Brazzers and Males.com. The corporate purports to have a each day viewers of 130 milion customers throughout its community of websites.

Previous to the rebrand, MindGeek had suffered a collection of setbacks, together with dropping entry to some Visa and Mastercard funds programs after a damning New York Times report in 2020 on the unfold of unlawful video content material that unfold through Pornhub and the disaster’ impact on impacted victims.

When that report surfaced, Pornhub responded by purging tens of millions of movies from the location.

Pornhub and its guardian firm have repeatedly denied wrongdoing when hit with allegations of internet hosting unlawful content material, whilst they bolstered content material moderation instruments on the location.

Aylo highlighted the assorted steps it takes to guard customers, together with a requirement that each one uploaded content material comes from verified customers and partnerships with “greater than 50 nonprofit organizations globally to fight little one intercourse abuse materials.

Final June, MindGeek CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo resigned from their management roles on the firm roughly one week after the New Yorker printed a sweeping takedown of the corporate and the unfold of nonconsensual intercourse movies.

Bain advised The Submit that these roles have but to be crammed, although the search is actively underway. Your complete earlier MindGeek possession group exited the corporate as a part of Moral Capital’s acquisition earlier this 12 months, she added.

Thus far, Moral Capital has declined to disclose who’s at present in cost at Aylo. Bain stated there are a number of C-suite executives in place, together with a chief monetary officer and “one particular person that’s the chief of the corporate,” however wouldn’t elaborate.

Different main query, corresponding to the place Moral Capital obtained the cash to purchase Pornhub and the way a lot it paid, additionally stay unanswered.