Lately, MasterCard and Visa have been cutting off payment services for websites and creators that offer NSFW (Not Safe for Work) content—basically, adult content like porn. This has caused a lot of buzz, especially among people who work in the adult industry and rely on these platforms to make a living.
The issue really blew up back in 2020 when both companies stopped working with Pornhub after reports came out about illegal videos on the site, including ones involving minors or non-consensual acts. MasterCard and Visa said they didn’t want to be associated with platforms that don’t do enough to keep harmful or illegal content off their sites. On the surface, that sounds pretty reasonable—nobody wants to support exploitation.
But here’s the other side: this decision ended up hurting a lot of people who weren’t doing anything wrong. Many adult performers and sex workers use these platforms to safely and legally run their businesses. When the payment options get taken away, it cuts off their income and pushes them toward more risky or unregulated ways of getting paid. It also raises concerns about big financial companies having too much control over what’s considered "acceptable" content.
So now there’s a big debate. Should payment processors like Visa and MasterCard be acting as moral gatekeepers? Or should they just process payments and let the law handle the rest? One thing’s clear: decisions like these don’t just affect companies—they affect real people’s lives.
The issue really blew up back in 2020 when both companies stopped working with Pornhub after reports came out about illegal videos on the site, including ones involving minors or non-consensual acts. MasterCard and Visa said they didn’t want to be associated with platforms that don’t do enough to keep harmful or illegal content off their sites. On the surface, that sounds pretty reasonable—nobody wants to support exploitation.
But here’s the other side: this decision ended up hurting a lot of people who weren’t doing anything wrong. Many adult performers and sex workers use these platforms to safely and legally run their businesses. When the payment options get taken away, it cuts off their income and pushes them toward more risky or unregulated ways of getting paid. It also raises concerns about big financial companies having too much control over what’s considered "acceptable" content.
So now there’s a big debate. Should payment processors like Visa and MasterCard be acting as moral gatekeepers? Or should they just process payments and let the law handle the rest? One thing’s clear: decisions like these don’t just affect companies—they affect real people’s lives.
