Pornhub is under fire for potentially illegal activity on its servers, just weeks after its CEO’s Montreal mansion was torched by an arsonist. Last week a federal watchdog announced they were looking into privacy breaches for content posted online for the popular adult content sharing site, which ranks in the top 10 most-visited websites but has faced a wave of criticism for hosting illegal and non-consensual content.
Pornography and Your Security Clearance
Pornography comes up as a frequent topic for security clearance applicants. If you’re worried that what you’ve viewed could be a security clearance issue, maybe it’s time to drop the mouse and find different content to consume online. A recent RAND study about emerging issues for younger security clearance applicants highlighted the prevalence of child pornography as a potential pitfall for security clearance applicants. Child pornography possession charges rose by 91.4% between 2006 and 2013.
Porn consumption isn’t likely to come up in the typical security clearance application. Where it could rear its head is in the course of a polygraph. You may be asked if you’ve ever viewed anything illegal online, and if your conscience is your guide – or you’re a guilt grabber – you could find yourself in a career conundrum.
Law Enforcement and Cleared Careers
This is particularly true for law enforcement cleared careers. The Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and FBI are notorious for competitive suitability determinations. When your job is to protect and defend the victims of child pornography and human trafficking, it makes sense that these agencies attempt to ensure their applicants are staying on the right side of the law. That makes it incredibly important for applicants to be able to say they’ve never viewed illegally posted content. Given the current scrutiny over what’s been published on Pornhub servers, cleared professionals should take pause – and always ensure you’re never viewing any type of pornography on a government or workplace device.
