Time Magazine Profiles ECP's Solomon Friedman

Time Magazine Profiles ECP's Solomon Friedman

WASHINGTON — Time magazine published on Monday a profile of Ethical Capital Partners (ECP) VP of Compliance Solomon Friedman.

The profile — penned by Australian journalist Belinda Luscombe, author of a book on “marriageology” — offers fragments of an interview with Friedman alongside a narrative of the transition between MindGeek and Aylo, and touches on issues concerning Pornhub, all punctuated with broad, negative generalizations about the adult industry.

Luscombe begins the profile by comparing ECP’s purchase of MindGeek — later renamed Aylo — in early 2023 with a completely unrelated terrorism case Friedman worked on as a criminal defense attorney.

ECP, Luscombe declares, approached the MindGeek purchase “with the same doggedness that Friedman brought to his defense of the terrorist.”

The thesis of Luscombe’s article is that there is something nefarious in the way that Aylo is “abiding by every letter of the law that it can, proclaiming how law-abiding it’s trying to be — and using every legal means to get its way,” or in other words, running a lawful business.

Luscombe’s “man bites dog” hook, visible right from the headline, is that Friedman is “helped in this morally incongruous endeavor by the fact that he’s an ordained rabbi.”

Among the sweeping statements and dubious generalizations Luscombe marshals in support of her thesis are that “research on porn-watching is unreliable because it’s based on self-reports” and that “research is inconclusive on whether obsessive porn use can be considered a behavioral addiction, a compulsion, or a symptom of another underlying disorder, but one study found that more than 10% of American men and 3% of women believe they might be addicted.” 

Luscombe also quotes a New York City divorce lawyer she knows, claiming that “porn has infiltrated marriages and exacerbated a problem and led to the destruction of many marriages” and suggests that “the problems that have bedeviled Pornhub, and online adult content in general, are bugs in the system or inherent to the product.”

Luscombe finds something suspicious about Friedman, a business person, attempting to run his business in ways that “could make him very wealthy,” quotes comedian Amy Poehler joking that “almost nobody actually plans to go into porn” and asserts that “Pornhub has ruined many lives.” 

Luscombe also interviewed and quotes Laila Mickelwait, identifying her only as “the founder and CEO of the Justice Defense Fund and founder of the Traffickinghub movement, dedicated to closing down Pornhub” while neglecting to mention her central role as Exodus Cry’s former “director of abolition” in the massive, orchestrated religious conservative campaign to eradicate all online adult content. 

Luscombe concludes her article by openly questioning “whether porn can truly ever be ethical.”

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

British Documentary Spotlights XBIZ Amsterdam With Candid Conversations

British creator and host Josh Pieters traveled to XBIZ Amsterdam to film a documentary about the annual European adult industry conference.

XBIZ 2026 to Debut 'New Talent Go-See' Special Event

XBIZ 2026, North America’s premier adult industry conference, will debut a special event designed to help new talent jump-start their careers: the New Talent Go-See.

Penthouse Announces Digital Archive Launch

Penthouse Magazine has announced that it will launch a comprehensive digital archive in 2026.

Dreamcam Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

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

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for August, September

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in August and September.

AV in Focus: A Guide to Unlocking Compliance With Clarity

The age verification era isn’t coming — it’s here. Laws are already on the books in numerous U.S. states, as well as in the U.K., France and beyond.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Ricky Johnson Launches 'Ricky's Resort' Through YourPaysitePartner

Ricky's Room studio honcho Ricky Johnson has launched his latest site, RickysResort.com, through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

2026 XMA Nominations Party Set for Nov. 19 in Hollywood

The 2026 XMA nominations reveal party will take place at Keys on the Sunset Strip on Wednesday, Nov. 19, with red-carpet arrivals starting at 8 p.m.

Show More