The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) revealed this week that late last month, FSC Executive Director Alison Boden “hosted a panel discussion on the trust and safety practices of adult platforms” at TrustCon, a global conference of trust and safety professionals – “those charged with moderating content online,” as FSC noted in the announcement.
For the panel, which FSC described being “first-of-its-kind,” Boden assembled Andrew Seiler of Tropical Sun ltd. (Clips4Sale), David Cooke of Aylo (Pornhub), Murray Perkins of WGCZ (XVideos), and Shane Britten of Crime Stoppers International to “discuss the unique challenges of moderating sexually explicit content.”
“Our industry has been at the forefront of trust and safety for years, but too often we’re not part of the conversation,” Boden said. “It’s essential that we collaborate, share best practices, and continuously improve our strategies to protect both users and creators. The TrustCon panel brought together some of the leading voices in our industry to explain to leaders in mainstream tech how we tackle these critical issues.”
According to the FSC announcement, the panel “worked to demystify how adult content platforms address issues like CSAM, image-based sexual abuse, uploader verification, and other common platform issues” and “discussed how platforms can partner with NGOs to deliver safer experiences for their users and creators.”
“After establishing that each company represented enforces fundamental measures such as uploader verification, identity and consent documentation, CSAM scanning and reporting, and removing reported content, Boden delved deeper into the tools and processes employed to carry out this work,” FSC reported, “including the regulatory challenges these companies encounter, the methods used to audit their effectiveness, and how they support their trust and safety teams, who frequently handle distressing material.”
According to FSC, the audience was largely comprised of “trust and safety professionals working at mainstream tech companies,” many of whom were “unfamiliar with the reality of how adult companies operate.”
“Attendees were extremely appreciative of the panelists and walked away with a new understanding of the industry, gaining insights beyond the often-misconstrued narratives portrayed in the media,” FSC said.
“I hope others in our industry will participate in panels like these,” said Boden, who said she plans to propose a similar session next year. “It helps demonstrate the industry’s commitment to transparency and responsibility.”
For more information, see the FSC’s full statement here. For more information on TrustCon, go to TrustCon.net.
