2021-10-18

GERMANY - xHamster is one of the most visited porn websites in Germany and the world. The xHamster bosses have been in hiding for years. Now research reveals for the first time two leading figures behind Germany's most visited porn site.

There you can see secretly created voyeur recordings, nude pictures of people who never gave their consent and recordings where it is not clear whether the people depicted are minors or victims of sexualized violence. One of them is 30-year-old Hanna, who was secretly filmed during a spa visit and then posted online: on xHamster. The company officially behind this platform: Hammy Media. But there is no face - and no one to take responsibility. Journalists found out who the two central figures behind xHamster are: Oleg N. and Dmitry G. Both have been operating for years – only under nicknames - even internally. In the process, we discovered a huge corporate network centered on the IT company Wisebits, with subsidiaries in tax havens like the British Virgin Islands and Antigua.

Photo credit: Limassol: IMAGO / Panthermedia, logo: xHamster.com / press material, editing: netzpolitik.org

Team members

Patrizia Schlosser

Patrizia Schlosser is a German investigative reporter, and reporter for German Public Television ARD, author and independent podcast producer.

Yannah Alfering

Yannah Alfering is a journalist and reporter for German Public Television. 

Eva Kubaniová

Eva Kubaniová is a journalist working for investigace.cz based in Prague.

Pavla Holcová

Pavla Holcová is an investigative journalist and founder of investigace.cz, based in Prague.

Mentor

Sarah Hurst

Sarah Hurst is a freelance journalist based in the UK.

Sarah Hurst
Supported
€6.000 allocated on 04/06/2021
ID
ECB/2021/663

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