MindGeek, which owns Pornhub, was sold to a private equity firm

MindGeek, owner of several adult entertainment websites including Pornhub, Brazzerz and Redtube, has been acquired by Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners (ECP).

ECP, founded last year, did not disclose the terms of the transaction.

“With MindGeek, we’ve identified a dynamic technology brand built on trust, security, and compliance, and with ECP’s resources and deep experience in regulatory, law enforcement, public engagement, and finance, we have a unique opportunity to strengthen what already exists” Fady Mansour, founder of ECP, said in a statement.

The acquisition comes after a few difficult years for the porn giant. MindGeek CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo left the company in June 2022. MindGeek is also currently in the midst of multiple lawsuits alleging that it knowingly profited from child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In December 2020, the platform removed all unverified content and now requires anyone appearing in a user-uploaded video to verify their identity. Platforms like OnlyFans have similar policies for handling non-consensual content.

In its announcement, ECP calls MindGeek “the Internet leader in the fight against illegal content online.” The private equity firm lists several policies in MindGeek’s trust and safety program, including its moderation practices, which require human moderators to manually review all uploads.

MindGeek and the online porn industry in general are at significant risk due to US laws such as SESTA/FOSTA. The legislation provides an exception to Section 230, which makes online platforms liable for facilitating prostitution and human trafficking, so credit card processors are reluctant to break the law. Now payment and credit card companies such as PayPal, Mastercard, Visa and Discover no longer process payments on sites like Pornhub.