MasterCard, Visa end card use on Pornhub amid controversy

Credit card companies MasterCard and Visa say they will no longer allow the cards to be used on Pornhub, a website owned by the Montreal-based company Mindgeek.

Pornhub came under fire last week after the New York Times reported that the website hosts videos of child sexual assaults and exploitations, prompting financial services companies Visa and MasterCard to investigate their relationship with the site.

MasterCard says its investigation found illegal material on the site, and had instructed its financial partners to stop accepting payments to Pornhub.

Visa says its investigation is ongoing, but it is suspending Pornhub's acceptance privileges pending its completion.

Pornhub denies there is illegal content on its site, saying it employs moderators to screen every video upload. Pornhub and Mindgeek did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Mindgeek is a conglomerate that owns more than 100 websites, production companies and brands. Pornhub itself is one of the most highly frequented pornography sites, with more than 100 million daily visits and more than 36 billion visits per year, according to the company.