Reuters reports that in an alarming development for users of the leading adult entertainment site Pornhub, the notorious hacking group known as "ShinyHunters" has announced that it has obtained sensitive data pertaining to premium subscribers of the platform. The hackers are now threatening to release this potentially compromising information unless their demands for a ransom payment in Bitcoin are met.

While the full scope and scale of the alleged data breach remains unclear at this time, Reuters was able to partially authenticate a sample of the stolen data provided by the hackers. At least three former Pornhub premium customers, two based in Canada and one in the United States, confirmed that the leaked information was genuine, though several years old. The affected individuals spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity given the highly sensitive nature of the matter.

In an online chat, ShinyHunters told Reuters, "We're demanding a ransom payment in Bitcoin to prevent the publication of [Pornhub] data and delete the data." However, the hacking group did not provide further details about how they acquired the user information.

Pornhub, which boasts over 100 million daily visits and 36 billion annual visits, is one of the most popular destinations for pornography on the internet. The site's premium service offers users access to high-definition videos, ad-free viewing, and virtual reality experiences.

On December 12, Pornhub issued a statement disclosing a recent cybersecurity incident involving third-party data analytics provider Mixpanel. The incident, which occurred within Mixpanel's environment, reportedly affected a limited set of analytics events for an undisclosed number of Pornhub Premium users. Mixpanel had previously disclosed its own cybersecurity incident on November 27.

In a statement to Reuters, Mixpanel maintained that it found no indication that the data claimed by ShinyHunters was stolen from its November 2025 security incident. The company stated that Pornhub's data was last accessed by a legitimate employee account at Pornhub's parent company in 2023, and if the data is now in unauthorized hands, Mixpanel does not believe it is a result of a security breach on their end.