NCOSE CEO Repeats Factually Inaccurate Statements About Pornhub Moderation at Ted Cruz Event

NCOSE CEO Repeats Factually Inaccurate Statements About Pornhub Moderation at Ted Cruz Event

WASHINGTON — NCOSE CEO Dawn Hawkins repeated factually inaccurate claims about Pornhub’s content moderation on Tuesday during a Capitol Hill press conference co-organized by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

The event was the public unveiling of Cruz’s Take It Down Act, co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The proposed bill would criminalize the act of uploading image-based sexual abuse such as revenge sexual content and deepfakes, and would mandate removal of such material within 48 hours.

Hawkins was invited to represent NCOSE alongside members of other organizations that support the bill, like RAINN and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

In 2015, Hawkins — a pro-censorship Mormon activist with a background in conservative and GOP PR — was instrumental in rebranding Morality in Media as the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) in order to “secularwash” its historically religious motivation and align the group’s optics to imply alignment with the more prestigious, secular NCMEC. 

Hawkins used Tuesday’s press conference to mischaracterize Pornhub’s current moderation practices.

“Platforms like Pornhub, Reddit and X let anyone upload sexually explicit content of anyone at any time, and then they not only drive people to the content through ads — they also enable countless downloads and reshares,” Hawkins stated, standing in front of a pensive Cruz. “This is the unacceptable reality we face today, and it will remain so unless Congress acts now.”

Hawkins later shared a video of her nonfactual remarks on NCOSE’s X account.

A Pornhub rep told XBIZ, “Obviously, the claims in the video are not factually accurate, at least as it relates to our platforms.”

The rep shared Pornhub and parent company Aylo’s trust and safety processes, which he noted “directly contradict many of the claims in the video.”

Pornhub considers its current, comprehensive safeguards and tools for preventing and eliminating unwanted material to be unprecedented in the history of user-generated-content platforms. 

Disproving Hawkins’ baseless remarks, Pornhub noted that its safeguards include an uploader verification program that uses secure biometric facial recognition technology to ensure the identity of the uploader of all pieces of content; co-performer verification, which establishes consent from all participants in uploaded content; preventing users from downloading free content; continuous additions to its suite of automated moderation tools (CSAI Match, Content Safety API, PhotoDNA, Vobile, Safer, Safeguard, NCMEC Take It Down, StopNCII); utilization of digital fingerprinting technology to prevent reuploading of unauthorized material; a Content Removal Request Form that, upon being completed by any user, immediately and automatically disables a piece of content pending further review; and partnerships with leading global internet safety nonprofit organizations.

“Aylo’s safety and security measures have set a standard for compliance programs in the tech and social media industries, and credible third-party analyses have commended the success of our efforts to date,” the rep said. “For example, NCMEC reported that Aylo platforms reported fewer incidents of CSAM, and removed material NCMEC flagged quicker upon being notified, than other major tech platforms including Facebook, X, Google, Instagram, and more. We are proud to be at the forefront of content moderation on the internet, and we are committed to continually evolving our Trust and Safety practices to remain leaders in internet safety.”

As XBIZ reported, lawmakers from both major political parties continue seeking support from Hawkins and NCOSE, in spite of the organization’s documented past of homophobic activism, and its current crusades to criminalize all forms of sex work and eradicate all adult content.

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued a press statement in March aligning herself with NCOSE, during her introduction of the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act of 2024 (DEFIANCE Act), which proposes to create a federal civil right of action for victims of deepfakes.

Although the stentoriously conservative Sen. Cruz may appear to be a more suitable ideological bedfellow for NCOSE and Hawkins, his official X account has a notoriously documented history of enjoying explicit, unpaid pornography — specifically, Cory Chase’s work for Reality Kings — on its feed.

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 Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

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.

Show More