Pornhub Denounces Renewed Censorship of Instagram Account

Pornhub Denounces Renewed Censorship of Instagram Account

MONTREAL — Pornhub released a statement denouncing the arbitrary censorship of its Instagram account, after it was briefly reactivated for a few hours yesterday before being shut down again.

“Within hours of reinstating our Instagram account, Meta has demonstrated that its policies have no rhyme or reason when they deactivated our account again, despite not violating any guidelines,” a Pornhub rep told Variety. “This comes at a time of increased censorship and discrimination against performers in the adult space, when platforms like Instagram should be inclusive and provide safe communities for creators to express themselves.”

Instead, the statement continued Meta and Instagram’s “haphazard and irrational enforcement of their policies place undue hardships on the livelihoods of those in the adult industry, an already marginalized group.”

The company called on Meta to “once again reverse its decision” to permanently ban Pornhub’s social media accounts on its platforms, first effected in Sept. 2022.

After yesterday’s activation and deactivation of Pornhub’s account — which has almost 13 million followers — a Meta spokesperson told Variety that it had been “done in error. As we’ve said previously, we permanently disabled this Instagram account for repeatedly violating our policies.”

Meta claims that Pornhub flouted its ban on “sexual solicitation” for over a decade, and also disabled a second account that Pornhub attempted to create after the permanent ban.

Meta and Instagram’s loosely defined concept “sexual solicitation” — borrowed from archaic anti-sex work laws and imprecisely adapted to the online space by terms of service drafters — has been sharply criticized by the company’s own Oversight Board last month.

As XBIZ reported, the Oversight Board recommended that Meta “clarify its public-facing Sexual Solicitation policy and narrow its internal enforcement guidance.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Show More