Pornhub adds HTTPS to keep your kinks hidden

Now that your ISP will soon be able to sell your browsing history to advertisers, it's good to know which companies have your back, privacy-wise. Around the web, the recent switch to HTTPS encryption has been a step in the right direction, but adult websites -- the ones with the most potentially embarrassing content -- have been slow to adopt. This week Pornhub, the most popular porn site on the internet, announced it now supports HTTPS to keep users' browsing habits within its network of sites as private as possible.

HTTPS uses encryption to secure the connection between your browser and the server and while it won't make you invisible on the internet, it will conceal any traffic beyond the top domain level. HTTPS can also speed up page loads, keep out malware and prevent sketchy ads from hijacking the page, which can be fairly common in some of the seedier corners of the internet. In the case of HTTPS-enabled adult sites like Pornhub, your ISP (or anyone monitoring your connection, really) will be able to see that you've visited the site, but not what data is being transferred. While the protocol is not perfect, your dirty searches and video views will be kept in the dark.

"With this Internet communication protocol we can ensure not only the security of our platform, but also that of our users," Pornhub VP Corey Price said in a statement. "At the end of the day, we want every single one of them to feel safe and secure on our platform while enjoying our library of over 5 million videos."