The popular adult website, Pornhub, has decided to restrict access to its content for users in Utah as a form of protest against a newly introduced law that requires age verification. This restriction will be in effect starting from Wednesday.
According to CNN, several adult websites, including Pornhub, which are all owned by MindGeek, have started to block users from accessing their content from IP addresses located in Utah. Instead of being able to watch adult videos, users are presented with a detailed message explaining the website’s opposition to the new mandate.
As you may know, your elected officials in Utah are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website,” the message said.
“While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk.”
The law, dubbed “SB287”, mandates websites that contain “a substantial portion of material that may be harmful to minors” to use a commercial age-verification system.
Utah introduces new law to hold porn websites accountable for making their content accessible to minors
In March, Governor Spencer Cox signed a new law in an attempt to hold porn websites accountable for making their content accessible to minors under the age of 18. The law aims to establish liability for such sites.
Along with the statement on the website, there is a video of an adult performer reading the message on camera. In the video, the performer explains that the new age verification requirement could potentially lead users to visit websites with fewer safety measures. The website has urged policymakers to use device-based verification solutions instead of asking users to upload their photo ID for age verification.
“Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Utah,” the message said, concluding with a call for Utahns to “demand device-based verification solutions” from policymakers.
Louisiana Offers Digital ID Solution for Age Verification on Pornhub
However, users in Louisiana can access Pornhub without any problem even though a similar age verification process is in place. Users in Louisiana are directed to a separate webpage to verify their age using the state’s digital ID system called LA Wallet, when accessing Pornhub.
A spokesperson from Pornhub explained to CNN that the reason behind this is that Utah does not have a similar digital ID solution like Louisiana. The spokesperson also added that since the age verification law went into effect in Louisiana, traffic from the state has decreased by 80%.