Pornhub, the world’s leading adult video website, has been officially banned in 17 US states following a wave of new legislation aimed at restricting access to adult content.
The trend began in Louisiana last year with the introduction of Act 440, which mandated government ID verification for accessing adult websites. The law targets entities distributing “material harmful to minors ” and imposes significant fines for non-compliance.
Since Louisiana’s move, similar laws have been enacted across the US. While some states, like Georgia and Louisiana, focus on age verification measures, others have taken a stricter approach, banning several prominent adult websites outright.
On 1 January, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina became the latest states to impose bans. The complete list of states implementing bans includes:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
Meanwhile, Georgia’s age verification law will take effect in July, and Louisiana continues to enforce its existing restrictions.
A representative from Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, expressed concerns about the legislation in comments to 404 Media. While supporting age-verification measures, they criticised the laws’ execution.
“The way many jurisdictions worldwide, including Florida, have chosen to implement age verification is ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous,” the spokesperson stated. They highlighted the risks associated with collecting extensive sensitive personal data, which could compromise user privacy.
The spokesperson also questioned the enforceability of the laws, suggesting that users would bypass restrictions by accessing content through non-compliant sites or alternative methods.
