Pornhub, YouPorn Lower Streaming Quality During COVID-19 Pandemic

NEW YORK—Global adult entertainment sites Pornhub and YouPorn today announced that they will join other leading video streaming providers, including Facebook, Netflix and Amazon, in reducing the default streaming quality of videos on their platforms in France. The decision comes in response to a request from Cédric O, French Minister of State for Digital, to preserve internet bandwidth and avoid straining the network, as many citizens work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a press release, Pornhub and YouPorn will be temporarily defaulting all videos on to standard definition (480P). Users can still choose to watch videos in high-definition quality, but by default they will be viewing the lower-quality video content. France is the fifth largest national audience on Pornhub in the world, and the second largest in Europe, according to Pornhub’s 2019 Year in Review statistics. Similarly, France is YouPorn’s second largest market in terms of viewership. “We understand the situation and will comply with the French government’s request to reduce streaming quality on our videos,” stated Corey Price, vice president of Pornhub. “We are evaluating our policies and the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic daily to determine how we can best support our vast global community, including ensuring millions can access the internet for work, school and communication.” YouPorn Vice President Charlie Hughes stated, “We have heard the request from France loud and clear and are happy to report that our platform is now compliant. We understand that this is a time of rapid change requiring quick adaptability and response. YouPorn is here to help!” In addition to complying with France’s request, Pornhub has taken other steps during the coronavirus crisis. Last week, the company provided its premium offering for free to Italy, France and Spain, and this week it announced it is available for free everywhere else in the world for 30 days. Pornhub has also donated surgical masks and funds to organizations across the world, including New York. Similarly, YouPorn last week announced the creation of a $100K fund to support COVID-19 relief projects created by technology, engineering and science organizations.