The Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Philippe Dufresne, has filed an application with the Federal Court to seek an order from the Court to require Aylo, one of the world’s largest operators of pornographic sites, to take steps to bring itself into compliance with Canadian privacy law.
The application follows an investigation by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that found significant problems with Aylo’s privacy practices that allowed highly sensitive and intimate content to be posted online without individuals’ knowledge or permission. The Commissioner’s Report of Findings was issued in 2024.
The investigation was launched in response to a complaint from a woman who discovered that her ex-boyfriend had uploaded an intimate video and other images of her to Aylo’s websites without her consent.
Aylo operates many of the world’s most popular pornographic websites, including Pornhub and Youporn.
Commissioner Dufresne is seeking an order from the Federal Court to require that Aylo implement clear and specific measures to ensure that meaningful consent is obtained directly from all individuals who appear in intimate images and videos that are uploaded to its websites.
While Aylo changed some of its privacy practices and consent verification mechanisms during and after the investigation, the application states that the company’s practices continue to fail to ensure that meaningful consent is obtained from everyone who appears in the videos.
The Federal Court has, among other powers, the authority to impose binding orders requiring an organization to correct or change its practices and comply with the law.
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“Non-consensual posting of intimate images can have devastating consequences for victims. To date, Aylo has not adequately addressed the significant concerns that were identified in my investigation. Privacy is a fundamental right, and individuals must be protected. I am turning to the Federal Court to ensure that Aylo only posts intimate videos with the direct knowledge and consent of everyone appearing in those images.”
Philippe Dufresne
Privacy Commissioner of Canadahttps://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/news-and-announcements/2025/nr-c_250303