Pornhub blocks millions of user's access in multiple US states amid age verification law
Pornhub is facing pressure from U.S. lawmakers over its age verification policies, but also from the EU.
A new age verification law aimed at protecting children from adult content has prompted Pornhub to block its websites in Montana and North Carolina, affecting millions of users.
The law requires users to show their ID card every time they visit a porn site, which Pornhub’s parent company Aylo says is risky for both users and children.
Aylo, which also runs RedTube, Brazzers and YouPorn, has already cut off access in five other states where similar laws have been passed. Users who try to access the sites are greeted by a video of porn star Cherie DeVille, who says that “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.”
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‘Restricted to Adults’ only
Pornhub is facing pressure from U.S. lawmakers over its age verification policies, but also from the EU, which has introduced its own regulations. However, some free speech advocates argue that there are better ways to keep minors away from adult content without compromising user privacy or freedom of expression.
For example, a director of the Free Speech Coalition, a porn industry lobby group, told Mashable that he advises parents to use device-level filters to block all sites labelled as “Restricted to Adults.”
Adult performer Alana Evans also told Mashable that parents should monitor their children’s online activity and have conversations with them about sex and porn, as well as other harmful content such as violence. Some users have also found ways to bypass the ID requirements in states like Louisiana, where Pornhub has not blocked its service.
Plus, Pornhub has also been accused of hosting illegal content involving sex trafficking victims. According to The Verge, its parent company Aylo was fined $1.8 million by a federal court and ordered to pay compensation to the victims, after admitting that it made money from videos of women who were forced to perform in porn.
The federal government claimed that Aylo “turned a blind eye” to sex trafficking and ignored messages from the victims that they did not consent to the videos. Aylo denied any criminal wrongdoing, Time reported, but agreed to a deal known as a deferred prosecution agreement, which means that it will have an independent monitor for three years to make sure that it removes any illegal content from its sites.
