FSC's Alison Boden Hosts Content Moderation Panel at TrustCon

SAN FRANCISCO—Free Speech Coalition (FSC) executive director Alison Boden hosted a panel discussion on the trust and safety practices of adult platforms at last month's TrustCon, a global conference dedicated to trust and safety professional, or those charged with moderating content online. For the panel, Boden brought together 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." The panel covered topics including how adult content platforms address issues like CSAM, image-based sexual abuse, uploader verification, and other common platform issues. Panelists 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, 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. Much of the  audience was made up of trust and safety professionals working at mainstream tech companies, and many were unfamiliar with the reality of how adult companies operate. Attendees walked away with a new understanding of the industry, gaining insights beyond the often misconstrued narratives portrayed in the media. “I hope others in our industry will participate in panels like these,” said Boden, who plans to propose a similar session next year.  “It helps demonstrate the industry's commitment to transparency and responsibility.”