Aylo (Pornhub’s Parent Company) Faces $120 Million Settlement Over Child Sexual Abuse Material — Were You Affected? — Jane Doe v. MindGeek USA Inc., No. 8:21-cv-00338

If you were under 18 when a video or image of you ended up on Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube, or another Aylo-owned site — you were not imagining what that platform did. Aylo, the company behind those sites, has agreed to pay $120 million to settle two class action lawsuits claiming it knowingly profited from child sexual abuse material uploaded by abusers. A judge still has to approve the deal.

Aylo (Pornhub) CSAM Settlement — Key Facts

Lawsuits Filed	2021 (California and Alabama)
Defendant	Aylo Holdings (formerly MindGeek) — parent of Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube, Brazzers, Modelhub
Alleged Harm	Hosting, distributing, and profiting from child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and sex trafficking videos
Law Alleged	Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA); California Trafficking Victims Protection Act; California Unfair Competition Law
Who Is Affected	People under 18 when depicted in content viewable on any Aylo-owned site between Feb. 12, 2011 and Dec. 6, 2024
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Southern Division), No. 8:21-cv-00338-CJC-ADS; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama (Western Division), No. 7:21-cv-00220
Current Stage	Settlement agreed; motion for preliminary court approval filed August 2026 — not yet approved
Lead Plaintiff Deadline	N/A — case is already in settlement posture
Settlement Status	UNVERIFIED — no preliminary approval hearing date published yet
Last Updated	August 26, 2026

Who Is Aylo and Why Are They Being Sued for This?

Aylo — known as MindGeek until it rebranded in 2023 — owns more than 100 pornography sites, including the ones people actually recognize: Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube, and Brazzers. For over a decade, the company let anyone upload video with little to no age or consent verification. Lawsuits in California and Alabama argue that policy is exactly what let child sexual abuse material spread across the platform, and that Aylo made advertising and subscription revenue off it the whole time.

What Did Aylo Allegedly Do Between 2011 and 2024?

The California case centers on a woman who says that when she was 16, her ex-boyfriend uploaded sexually explicit videos of her to Pornhub without her consent — and that Aylo’s staff reviewed and approved the content before it went live. The Alabama case involves two women who say they were trafficked as minors, with one alleging she was drugged and abused at 16 and that her trafficker profited from videos of her through Pornhub’s Modelhub program.

Both cases lean on the TVPRA, a federal law that makes it illegal to knowingly benefit from sex trafficking — even if you’re not the one who did the trafficking, just the one cashing the checks. The settlement motion states the class covers content that was viewed on Aylo’s sites over 684 million times before removal. That’s not a typo. That’s the scale plaintiffs say made this a business model, not an oversight.

Here’s the part that should stop you: none of this happened by accident. The lawsuits allege Aylo knew what was on its platform and chose profit over pulling it down.

Are You Part of the Aylo CSAM Class Action?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

You may be part of the class if any of the following apply:

• You were under 18 when a photo or video of you appeared on Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube, or any other Aylo-owned site between February 12, 2011 and December 6, 2024
• Someone uploaded that content without your knowledge or consent
• You’ve since had it removed, reported it, or are aware it was viewed or distributed on an Aylo platform
• You were trafficked as a minor and content of that abuse was hosted on any Aylo site

You likely do not qualify if the content in question was uploaded after you turned 18, or if it appeared only on a platform unrelated to Aylo’s network.

Aylo (Pornhub) Content Victims Outside California and Alabama — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. Even though the two underlying lawsuits were filed in California and Alabama courts, the proposed class isn’t limited by state. It covers anyone nationwide who meets the age and date criteria above, regardless of where they lived when the content was uploaded.

Not sure if you qualify for the Aylo child sexual abuse material lawsuit? A free consultation with a sex trafficking or child abuse civil litigation attorney can help you understand your options — including whether filing your own claim outside the class makes more sense for your situation.

What Are Aylo Class Members Asking the Court to Award?

Plaintiffs are asking the court to approve a $120 million non-reversionary settlement fund — meaning any unclaimed money stays with the class rather than reverting to Aylo. Under the terms filed with the court, Aylo would pay it out in seven installments: an initial $25 million, followed by six annual payments of roughly $15.83 million, held in an interest-bearing escrow account until distributed.

No money has changed hands yet. No claim form exists. There is no deadline to file anything right now.

What Could Class Members Receive If This Settles?

That depends on how the court structures individual payouts once (and if) it grants final approval — something that hasn’t happened yet. The settlement also includes injunctive relief: mandatory government-ID age verification for anyone depicted in new content, expanded human and automated content review, mandatory abuse-prevention training for staff, and a “Trusted Flagger” system letting child-safety organizations get abusive content pulled immediately.

For comparison — Aylo separately paid the FTC and Utah just $5 million in September 2025 over related CSAM allegations, and paid the Justice Department $1.84 million in 2024 over ties to the GirlsDoPorn trafficking operation. This proposed $120 million is more than 24 times the FTC penalty. That gap tells you something about how differently civil regulators and a certified class of victims value the same conduct.

What Should Aylo (Pornhub) CSAM Victims Do Right Now?

1. You don’t need to do anything to preserve your rights in the class right now — no action is required until (or unless) the court approves the settlement and opens a claims process.
2. Save what you have: any correspondence with Aylo about content removal, screenshots of takedown requests, records from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline, or documentation tied to your case.
3. Write down when you first learned the content was posted, how long it stayed up, and any harm — financial, medical, or otherwise — that followed.
4. Watch for the preliminary approval ruling from Judge Wesley L. Hsu in the Central District of California. That ruling determines when a claims process, notice period, and deadlines actually start.
5. Monitor the docket directly — Jane Doe v. MindGeek USA Incorporated, No. 8:21-cv-00338, Central District of California.
6. If you’d rather not wait on the class process, talk to an attorney now about filing an individual claim instead. Some survivors get more by opting out once the class opens, depending on their circumstances.

Did you spend years reporting content you never consented to, only to watch it get reuploaded? Then the injunctive relief in this settlement — not just the money — is worth reading closely.

Aylo (Pornhub) CSAM Lawsuit — Full Timeline

Milestone	Date
Alleged harm period begins	February 12, 2011
California lawsuit filed (Jane Doe v. MindGeek)	2021
Alabama lawsuit filed (Jane Doe #1 & #2 v. MG Freesites)	2021
Court denies Aylo’s motion to dismiss (C.D. Cal.)	September 2021
Alleged harm period ends	December 6, 2024
FTC/Utah $5 million settlement over related CSAM claims	September 2025
Motion for preliminary approval of $120M settlement filed	August 2026
Preliminary approval hearing	UNVERIFIED — not yet scheduled as of this writing
Expected claims process opening	UNVERIFIED — depends on court approval

Aylo (Pornhub) CSAM Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 8:21-cv-00338

Is there a class action lawsuit against Aylo for CSAM right now?

 Yes. Two class actions — one in California (No. 8:21-cv-00338) and one in Alabama (No. 7:21-cv-00220) — allege Aylo profited from child sexual abuse material on Pornhub and its other sites. Aylo has agreed to a $120 million settlement, but a judge hasn’t approved it yet.

Do I need to do anything right now to be part of the Aylo lawsuit? 

No. If you fit the class definition — under 18 when depicted in content on an Aylo site between Feb. 12, 2011 and Dec. 6, 2024 — you’re likely already included. Nothing to file yet.

When will the Aylo CSAM case actually settle?

 There’s no set date. The motion for preliminary approval was filed in August 2026 in front of Judge Wesley L. Hsu; a hearing date hadn’t been published as of this writing.

Can I file my own lawsuit against Aylo instead of joining the class?

 Possibly. Once the settlement is approved, class members typically get the chance to opt out and pursue an individual claim. Talk to an attorney before making that call — it’s not reversible.

How will I find out if the Aylo lawsuit settles?

 Once the court grants preliminary approval, class members are notified directly under the settlement’s notice plan, and the ruling becomes public on the C.D. Cal. docket for case No. 8:21-cv-00338.

What specific laws does Aylo allegedly violate?

 The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), the California Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and the California Unfair Competition Law, according to the operative complaints.

How much could Aylo CSAM victims get if this case settles? 

That’s not public yet. The $120 million fund covers the whole class; individual payout formulas typically get set later in the approval process.

Is this the same as the $5 million FTC settlement Aylo paid in 2025? 

No. That was a separate government enforcement action by the FTC and Utah over deceptive practices. This $120 million case is a private class action brought directly by survivors, and it’s roughly 24 times larger.

Sources Used in This Article

• Bloomberg Law — “Pornhub, Sex Trafficking Victims Settle Class for $120 Million,” Aug. 15, 2026: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/pornhub-sex-trafficking-victims-settle-class-for-120-million
• FindLaw — “Pornhub Owner Agrees to Settle Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuits for $120 Million,” Aug. 20, 2026: https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/courtside/pornhub-owner-agrees-to-settle-child-sexual-abuse-lawsuits-for-120-million/
• Law360 — “Pornhub To Pay $120M To End Child Abuse Content Cases,” Aug. 17, 2026: https://www.law360.com/productliability/articles/2514345/pornhub-to-pay-120m-to-end-child-abuse-content-cases-
• Federal Trade Commission — Press release on $5 million Aylo/Utah settlement, Sept. 2025: https://www.ftc.gov/node/297745
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama — Memorandum Opinion and Order, Doe #1 & #2 v. MG Freesites Ltd, No. 7:21-cv-00220: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-alnd-7_21-cv-00220/pdf/USCOURTS-alnd-7_21-cv-00220-0.pdf

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against court filings, docket records, and named legal-news sources listed above as of August 26, 2026. Last Updated: August 26, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.