Throughout the previous two days, Montana and North Carolina were the states in the United States with the most “VPN” search queries. That’s possible because, as of January 1, the updated age verification rules are in force, and pornographic websites have begun blocking access in certain areas or requesting a copy of users’ official IDs.
Instead of requesting verification, Pornhub has decided to prevent users in both states from visiting its website, as reported by 404Media. Additionally inaccessible are the additional websites that belonged to its parent firm Aylo (previously MindGeek), such as Brazzers, Redtube, and YouPorn.
A video message from singer Cherie DeVille will appear to anyone in Montana or North Carolina attempting to visit an Aylo website. The message will explain that providing adult platforms with an electronic copy of their ID risks their kids and privacy in danger. “We think the most efficient and effective approach for securing kids and adults equally is to recognize users by their electronic devices and allow usage of age-restricted materials and sites according to that identification,” DeVille stated.
When visitors from different states with the same age verification rules visit Pornhub, they get the identical video message.
The most recent states to request adult platforms to confirm visitors’ ages are Montana and North Carolina: Early in 2023, Louisiana initiated the trend; subsequently, versions have been passed in Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas. In North Carolina, the rules were accepted as an aspect of a law mandating computer science education for high school children.
Instead of completely restricting regions, some pornographic websites that are not controlled by Aylo employ third-party sources to verify the age of their customers. Pornhub verifies the identities of local users using the digital driver’s license wallet app in Louisiana, but not many states have ID apps compatible with its method. The website informed us that right after the state of Louisiana began enforcing laws, its traffic in that state fell by 80%.
Pornhub bids Texas goodbye
Pornhub has now raised its hat, rode off towards the sunset, and left Texas if it was a cowboy. The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decided that Texas can begin implementing its age verification laws for porn sites, therefore it is currently unavailable in the state. According to 404Media, if you have access to Pornhub or another site related to adult material from inside the state, you will now see a message that starts, “Dear consumer, as you might be aware, your elected officials in Texas have instructed us to confirm your legal age before permitting you access to our website.”