A coalition that includes Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, along with other adult content creators, has established the Adult Studio Alliance (ASA) to create standardized safety protocols within the industry through a Code of Conduct.
Mandatory safety protocols, such as HIV and STI testing every 14 days, are in effect for professional porn productions in the U.S. The ASA aims to clearly and consistently standardize these practices, as indicated in a press release.
The ASA’s primary guidelines consist of:
– Ensuring performers receive full transparency, including details of scenes and partners, prior to booking
– Implementing boundary checklists and discussions before shooting
– Providing an intimacy coordinator or liaison available before, during, and after production
– Establishing health and safety measures, including STI testing every 14 days
– Banning drugs and alcohol during shoots and setting guidelines for prescription medication
– Mandating requirements related to licensing, transparency, and ethical representation
The complete Code of Conduct can be found on the ASA’s website.
“The ASA Code of Conduct establishes a standard for the production of adult content,” remarked Alex Kekesi, Aylo’s VP of brand and community, in the press release.
Aylo, a founding member of the ASA, owns Pornhub and studios such as Brazzers and Sean Cody. Other founding members encompass Dorcel, ERIKALUST, Gamma Entertainment, Mile High Media, and Ricky’s Room.
“When we safeguard performers’ rights, we create a supportive work atmosphere and reduce the stigma surrounding porn, ultimately benefiting our industry and society as we strive to produce safer content,” Kekesi added.
“I believe that robust production standards form the bedrock of a safe, respectful, and prosperous industry, and performers deserve nothing less. Therefore, I am genuinely excited about the launch of the Adult Studio Alliance and wholeheartedly support this initiative,” stated performer Cherie DeVille.
Jiz Lee, a performer and marketing director for queer porn studio CrashPadSeries.com, shared with Mashable that much of the foundation and key points of this new Code of Conduct were previously established in the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee’s (APAC) performer bill of rights and code of conduct, developed by a volunteer-based group of performers over a decade ago.
While it would have been courteous for major studios to acknowledge APAC, Lee stated that it is encouraging to see the transparency and initiative taken by these studios. “It reflects that performers have the power to impact the industry and their working conditions,” they noted. Lee hopes the ASA’s code of conduct will address issues related to AI, tagging, and individual health and performer agency.
This coalition and Code of Conduct arise as the adult industry encounters increasing scrutiny. Countries such as the UK and France, along with approximately half of the United States, have implemented age-verification laws necessitating users to provide personal information in order to access explicit content.
In spite of free speech experts and an initial study indicating that age-verification doesn’t achieve its intended aim — keeping minors off porn sites — more jurisdictions are adopting these measures. It is also prompting non-explicit platforms, like Spotify, to commence age-verification. Experts caution that these laws may significantly alter the internet and often require more personal data over time.
Additionally, there is a conservative movement in the United States to eliminate pornography entirely. The far-right agenda for Trump’s second presidential term, Project 2025, emphasizes the prohibition of pornography and the incarceration of content creators. Following Trump’s second inauguration in January, several bills have been proposed to outlaw porn, but these bills have not advanced since their introduction.