Groupon Boycott Sees Online Coupon Giant Nix Porn
Groupon appears to be bowing to the anti-porn pressure.
After a Christian boycott led by Morality in Media, the online coupon giant has finally stopped promoting companies that deal in pornography.
Morality in Media launched the protest after it discovered Groupon was merchandising torture pornographer Kink. Now that Groupon has put the kibosh on Kink, Morality in Media has lifted its boycott.
“Mainstream companies should stay far away from the sexual exploitation and abuse that is part and parcel of the mission of pornography companies,” says Patrick Trueman, Morality in Media’s president. “Groupon offered deals not only for Kink but for an event at Playboy, the world’s top sexual exploiter.”
Of course, Groupon isn’t admitting that its decision has anything to do with the boycott. Trueman says Groupon management has refused to acknowledge to Morality in Media that it changed its policy to prohibit sales of coupons for pornography related activities.
Morality in Media only learned of the change through a confidential source, a business customer of Groupon, and confirmed the policy change through a second business customer of the company.
Groupon initially defended its support of Kink, which sells porn videos and offers live online torture porn performances. Groupon claimed that Kink is an “active, good member of their community.”
During the two-month boycott, more than 20,000 people canceled their Groupon memberships through a web page Morality in Media designed for the boycott. Untold thousands of others no doubt took similar action as a result of the boycott publicity.
“The Groupon national boycott demonstrates that large numbers of people are willing to take action to challenge pornography wherever it rears its ugly head,” says Dawn Hawkins, Morality in Media’s executive director.
