Laila Mickelwait’s organization Traffickinghub was pivotal in the “biggest takedown of content in Internet history” after pressure forced PornHub to remove 50 million images and videos – over 90% of its content. Now the activist is pushing for a new US federal law to mandate third-party age verification for all adult websites.
But could her proposal backfire? Critics warn: though the intention is to protect children, requiring all users to submit ID would effectively create the world’s largest target for hackers – even bigger than the 2015 Ashley Madison leaks. How can we protect children online while balancing the privacy norms and free speech of adults?
Laila Mickelwait is the Founder/CEO of Justice Defense Fund and Traffickinghub. Her book, Takedown, details her fight against Pornhub’s role in trafficking. She received a Master of Public Diplomacy from the Annenberg School of Communications and the Dornsife School of International Relations at USC. More at https://x.com/LailaMickelwait
Emilie Hagen is an independent journalist covering the Diddy trial, the Epstein files, and other high-profile cases. She writes at https://emiliehagen.substack.com
