Prominent credit card companies Visa and Mastercard say they’re rethinking their relationship with Pornhub after allegations broke last week accusing the porn site of housing illegal content including videos showing rape and underage sex.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof laid down the accusations in a bombshell report on Friday, calling on major credit card companies to stop processing payments to Pornhub. In response, both Visa and Mastercard have announced they are investigating their business relationship with the porn giant, the Associated Press reported.
“We are aware of the allegations, and we are actively engaging with the relevant financial institutions to investigate, in addition to engaging directly with the site’s parent company, MindGeek,” Visa said Saturday, adding that Pornhub would be blocked from accepting Visa payments if the site is found to be in violation of the law or bank policies.
Mastercard issued a similar statement, adding the company would take “immediate action” if the allegations against Pornhub are substantiated. “We are investigating the allegations raised in the New York Times and are working with MindGeek’s bank to understand this situation,” the credit card company announced.
Other companies are ahead of the game. American Express said company policy prohibits the Amex card from being used on “digital adult content websites,” while PayPal stopped processing payments to Pornhub last year.
Pornhub has denied the allegations raised in the New York Times report, calling the accusations “irresponsible and flagrantly untrue” in a statement to the Associated Press.
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