Pornhub to stop allowing unverified users from uploading content following allegations that videos show rape and underage sex

The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote a piece published Dec. 4, examining several cases of abusive an non-consensual content appearing on Pornhub.

"Its site is infested with rape videos. It monetizes child rapes, revenge pornography, spy cam videos of women showering, racist and misogynist content, and footage of women being asphyxiated in plastic bags. A search for 'girls under18' (no space) or '14yo' leads in each case to more than 100,000 videos. Most aren't of children being assaulted, but too many are," Kristof wrote.

Both Mastercard and Visa said that they will be reevaluating their business relationships with Pornhub following the publication of The New York Times piece, the Associated Press reported.

Pornhub responded to the piece saying that it does not knowingly allow content with underage participants, but shared a blog post on Tuesday outlining steps it will take to eliminate content including sexual abuse of minors and non-consensual sex on its platform, according to AP.

The company said that starting next year it will implement ways in which users can become verified and able post new material to the site.

Pornhub has reportedly hired a law firm to conduct a review of the the content already on the site and has moderators to scrutinize each piece of content that will be newly posted to the site. The company also says it will no longer allow users to download content from the site.

Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse told the Daily Caller, "The Department of Justice needs to open an investigation into the scumbags who run Mindgeek."

Mindgeek is the parent company who owns Pornhub and other related websites.

"Sexual exploitation and human trafficking are abhorrent, period. A decent society should be working to end this," Sasse continued.

Pornhub says it had 42 billion visits to its website last year, averaging at 115 million/day.