Pornhub has quietly updated its Terms of Service to include a clause granting the company the right to use uploaded videos for “training purposes,” a change that effectively allows the platform to incorporate user content into artificial intelligence (AI) training datasets.

The new provision appears under the section titled “Rules Applicable to All Content and Uploaders on this Website,” and reads plainly:

“The Content may be used for training purposes.”

The update, first noticed by users reviewing the site’s revised terms at Pornhub.com/information/terms, expands the company’s rights over uploaded material beyond the existing framework of copyright, verification, and compliance requirements.

While Pornhub recently made headlines for announcing mandatory criminal background checks for new and existing studio partners, the AI-related clause went largely unnoticed. It was not highlighted in any public-facing communication or email to content creators.

1. The updated section now lists the following guarantees uploaders must make before posting videos:
2. That the content complies with all laws and does not expose Pornhub to liability.
3. That the uploader owns the rights to the material and has consent from all participants.
4. That all performers are verified as adults under U.S. law (18 U.S.C. § 2257).
5. That no participant has been convicted of crimes such as sexual assault or trafficking.
6. That the content may be used for training purposes.
7. That the content is original and complies with Pornhub’s Terms and Privacy Notice.

The company also added a secondary clause specifying that it “reserves the right to hash any uploaded content for training purposes, including, but not limited to, training for identifying or combating illegal activities,” and that such hashes “may be shared with third parties, including law enforcement agencies.”

It remains unclear what kind of training Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, intends to conduct under this provision. The language is broad enough to encompass both internal AI safety and moderation systems—such as identifying illegal or nonconsensual content—and machine-learning models trained on visual data from creator uploads.

Legal analysts note that while similar clauses exist in the tech industry, the inclusion of such language in an adult platform’s terms is unprecedented. The update raises significant privacy and consent concerns among creators, as their likenesses and performances could, in theory, be used to train AI systems without explicit, separate permission.

As of this week, Pornhub has not issued any public statement clarifying how the new clause will be applied or whether creators will have an option to opt out.

The move arrives amid an intensifying global debate over the intersection of AI, adult content, and performer rights. Legislators in the United States, Europe, and Canada have begun drafting measures to regulate AI-generated pornography and to protect individuals from nonconsensual deepfake exploitation.