12 Companies That Profit Off Sexual Exploitation

Summary: This list is the “Dirty Dozen” or 12 companies that profit the most from pornographic advertising. Google was on this list one year and they made sure they never were again.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation has been working hard to change how the porn industry operates. With the help of Fight The New Drug and End Sexual Exploitation’s “Dirty Dozen” list, consumers and companies are able to understand how policies promote the continued existence of sexual exploitation. This list highlights companies that have policies that allow them to make profits from the advertisement of sexual material which is what fuels sex trafficking and violence.

Verizon – They allow pornography to enter homes in multiple ways as a provider of pay-per-view movies, wireless carrier, and an internet provider. While Verizon has since removed child-themed and slavery-themed movie titles, as recent as last year they were defending those options that they give consumers.

Backpage.com – This website is the leader in prostitute advertisements for the U.S. They generate almost 80 percent of the revenue of prostitution advertising online. Law enforcement agencies know that trafficked women and children are sold on the webpage each day. The website still actively opposes laws that can make it a felony to advertise the sexual acts of children.

Fifty Shades of Grey – While this is a bestselling book and now film, the storyline romanticizes and normalizes female inequality, coercion, and sexual violence.

American Apparel – It can be pretty astonishing to see the results you get when searching for images of this company. Their marketing plan is defined by ads that feature almost-nude, sexually posed young women. The images emphasize the buttocks and breasts of the women. The recent leadership and overall brand identity changes may help transform this company to the better.

Hilton Hotels – While Hilton is a top hotel chain, they still provide hardcore pornographic movies with the themes of children, rape, incest, extreme violence, and sexual slavery. Other top hotel chains like Omni and Marriott have publicly refused to profit off such “entertainment” that guests can watch in their rooms.

American Library Association – The ALA encourages all public libraries to make their computers unfiltered. This allows any patron, even children that use the computers, the ability to easily access porn. Little did you know that child sexual abuse, exhibitionism, sexual assault, stalking, and other lewd acts happen in public libraries everywhere.

Sex Week – While this week long celebration of sex on college campuses can help raise awareness on sexual empowerment and sex education, the celebration generally tends to focus on pornography, casual sex, and violent sexual practices.

CKE Restaurants – The owner of fast food restaurants Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., maximizes sexual suggestions and explicit images of women in their commercials and print ads.

Cosmopolitan Magazine – This magazine already requires their cover to be hidden in stores but End Sexual Exploitation wants to see the magazine treated like other porn magazines by being only sold to adults. The magazine idealizes public, group, anal, and violent sex in almost all issues. A nationwide survey of Americans found that most agree with 67 percent believing the cover is not appropriate for all ages to view, 55 percent thinking the magazine should not be allowed to be in view of children, and 65 percent of women 18-34 believing that the magazine is inappropriate for viewers of any age.

Department of Justice– The DOJ will not enforce existing federal obscenity laws against pornography even though the laws are upheld by the U.S. Courts and were previously enforced. Currently, federal law does not allow the distribution of obscene adult pornography on cable/satellite TV, the internet, on hotel/motel TV, through the mail, in retail shops, or by common carrier. The U.S. Supreme Court continues to turn down First Amendment challenges claiming that obscenity is free speech.

Facebook – They have been taking steps to curb exploitation, but they are still a top place to trade child and adult pornography, in addition to being a place for sex trafficking and prostitution. A report from 2011 showed that 83 percent of prostituted women use Facebook for advertising and arranging meetings. Facebook does not have resources set aside to effectively enforce their own rules.

YouTube – They have strict rules that prohibit sexual content, but do little to monitor and enforce the rules. Users go through a time-consuming process to report content. YouTube quite often keeps the content to help generate views and profits.

Source: http://endsexualexploitation.org/dirty-dozen/

Photo: eaglerising.com