An Ottawa-based private equity firm is buying MindGeek, the owner of Pornhub and other adult entertainment properties.
The terms of the purchase by Ethical Capital Partners are not being publicly disclosed.
MindGeek, which was founded in Montreal in 2004 and is now headquartered in Luxembourg, includes a large portfolio of adult entertainment properties.
It has been the subject of several high-profile lawsuits in recent years, in light of media reports alleging that its website Pornhub published sexually exploitative videos.
One California lawsuit representing 50 women, including several Canadians, said that Pornhub knowingly released and profited from videos of them that were published without their consent. The suit was settled in October 2021.
Ethical Capital Partners said in a Thursday news release that it will support MindGeek with furthering its research and adoption of the best available online safety protocols, adding that the company “must play a leading role in the fight against illegal content across the internet.”
Dozens of women are suing the Montreal company behind Pornhub, one of the most visited websites in the world. None of the allegations have been proven in court, but the lawsuit alleges the company is run like an “organized crime family” and profits off the exploitation of women.
Mastercard and Visa stopped allowing their cards to be used on the site in 2020 amid concerns that they were facilitating access to sexually exploitative material.
The company was also the subject of a investigation by Canada’s federal privacy watchdog after testimony from women who said Pornhub brushed off their efforts to have the videos taken down.
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