(Reuters) – Mastercard Inc and Visa Inc on Thursday stopped processing payments on Pornhub after a New York Times report last week that many videos posted on the adult website depicted sexual assault of children.
Mastercard said it was permanently ending the use of its cards on the sex videos site after its investigation confirmed the presence of illegal content on the platform. Visa said it was suspending payments till an investigation was completed.
Pornhub called the actions as “disappointing”, saying it came after the site implemented safeguards such as a ban on video downloads, as well as permitting only certain partner accounts to upload content.
The New York Times article had also described some videos on the site as recordings of assaults on unconscious women and girls.
Pornhub has denied the allegations.
“This news is crushing for the hundreds of thousands of models who rely on our platform for their livelihoods,” Pornhub said on Thursday.
Reporting by Munsif Vengattil and Noor Zainab Hussain; Editing by Anil D’Silva
Photo – EPA/PETER FOLEY
30th October 2026
The world’s leading cruise operators are reporting strong earnings despite rising fuel prices, but Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are taking different approaches to ...
30th October 2026
Shell more than doubled its adjusted profits in the third quarter as disruption linked to the Middle East conflict drove up oil and gas prices and tightened global fuel supplies.
The ...
30th October 2026
Updated 1120
Malta’s economy shows mixed signals as property market slows
Malta’s economy is showing mixed signs, with strong tourism spending and consumer confidence contrasting w...
29th October 2026
Updated 1140
Malta Marks 105 Years of Parliamentary History with Commemorative Plaque: Malta’s Parliament has commemorated 105 years of parliamentary history with the unveiling of a p...
25th June 2026
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
30th October 2026
The world’s leading cruise operators are reporting strong earnings despite rising fuel prices, but Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are taking different approaches to ...
30th October 2026
Shell more than doubled its adjusted profits in the third quarter as disruption linked to the Middle East conflict drove up oil and gas prices and tightened global fuel supplies.
The ...
11th October 2026
What began last year as a blood donation initiative involving six companies is expanding into a broader corporate effort, with three additional companies joining this...
10th October 2026
Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving up the boardroom agenda, raising an important question for non-executive directors: are boards equipped to oversee the transformation AI is brin...
30th October 2026
Malta will host a high-level gathering of European healthcare leaders on 26 November, as the inaugural HekaTech Health 2026 conference brings together policymakers, regulators, industry ...
29th October 2026
GO plc has become an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect Partner, making it the only Maltese entity confirmed to hold the designation and giving local businesses a private, resilien...
3rd September 2026
Fears of renewed escalation gripped the Middle East on Wednesday after the United States and Iran exchanged their biggest barrage since July, with Washington striking Iran's southern co...
4th August 2026
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
25th June 2026
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
15th October 2026
Ukraine said Thursday it struck a Russian oil refinery and damaged six Russian warplanes at an airfield, resuming attacks on Russian energy infrastructure after President Volodymyr Zelen...
14th October 2026
Ukrainian drones hit Russia's biggest data centre, owned by the country's largest bank and technology company, Sberbank, but did not disrupt its operations, a senior company executive ...