PornHub’s sister site XTube is closing down for good
XTube will be shut down in September. (Envato Elements)
PornHub’s sister site XTube is closing permanently in September after 13 years in business.
The hugely-popular porn website was set up in 2006 and allowed people to upload their own videos – but XTube creators announced on Monday (5 July) that the site will go dark on 5 September.
In a statement, the XTube team said they are “very proud” of the vibrant community they’ve built over the course of 13 years.
“We’re grateful to all of you who have shared your content on our platform,” the XTube team wrote. “Unfortunately, it’s time for us to move on to greener pastures and greater things.”
The website, which claims to have more than nine million registered users, revealed that it has now disabled video and photo uploads and it has stopped users from buying new credits or memberships ahead of the website’s closure.
They encouraged people to consider moving to PornHub or MyDirtyHobby once the website goes off the internet.
XTube’s parent company is facing a lawsuit over alleged ‘exploitation’
The announcement comes just weeks after 34 women filed a lawsuit against XTube and PornHub’s parent company MindGeek, accusing the company of profiting off their content without their consent.
One of the women, named only as Isabella, told CBS News in June that she was just 17-years-old when her boyfriend coerced her into making a nude video. She later learned that it had been posted on PornHub.
In their lawsuit, the women accused PornHub and its parent company of exploiting them by hosting their content without permission. They also claimed the website has allowed graphic videos of sexual assault, revenge porn and child abuse on its platform.
It is unclear of the closure of XTube is related to the recent lawsuit.
While some have shared their disappointment at the news, others have welcomed the decision – particularly anti-human trafficking campaigners.
https://twitter.com/Oxthkeepr_/status/1412212149989122056
Farewell, Xtube. pic.twitter.com/0WMDev7sIb
— seangeee (@ShirleySTANson) July 5, 2021
Porn streaming sites aren’t forever. It’s no surprise that xtube is going down but porn will live on in any form. Porn finds a way— PbnXonny 🇬🇾 🏳️🌈 🇨🇦 (@JonnyChandra6) July 6, 2021
Laila Mickelwait, CEO of Justice Defence Fund, shared the news on Twitter, writing: “Lesson: If you can’t operate legally, you can’t operate at all.”
BREAKING: Major MindGeek porn tube site Xtube is SHUTTING DOWN September 5.
Lesson: If you can’t operate legally, you can’t operate at all.
Next up: Pornhub.#Traffickinghub #ShutItDown #GoodbyeXtube pic.twitter.com/gkvYeKE5wP— Laila Mickelwait (@LailaMickelwait) July 6, 2021
MindGeek has strenuously denied the allegations made in last month’s lawsuit, saying it has “zero tolerance for illegal content and investigates any complaint or allegation made about content on our platforms”.
