Instead of finding porn, visitors will hear a porn celebrity speak about online privacy.
Laws have been passed in two additional states in the United States that require pornographic websites to verify the identification of their visitors. In retaliation, Pornhub has restricted all access to its website in the states of Montana and North Carolina, adding those states to the list of states that have already been cut off from the video streaming website. Other states that have been cut off include Utah and Virginia. Despite the fact that Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, has maintained its position that ID verification is a nightmare for privacy, it appears that a great number of additional states are on the verge of passing legislation that is comparable.
In the beginning of 2023, Louisiana was the first state to start requiring their citizens to verify their ages. A digital driver’s license system that can be used for verification is available in this state, however the majority of states do not have such options. This implies that websites such as Pornhub are required to make use of identity processors provided by third parties in order to gather user IDs and verify that they belong to the individual who is attempting to access adult content. It is perilous to be required to send over personal information to a third party, but the majority of pornographic websites are complying with this obligation.
Despite the fact that users in Montana and North Carolina are able to access Pornhub’s website, they will not be able to discover the content that they were looking for. There is no longer any pornographic content loaded on Pornhub in these states; instead, users are presented with a brief statement and a video from the performer Cherie DeVille that explains the reason why the website is restricted. “We believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials and websites based on that identification,” DeVille states in the promotional material.
The movie is not exclusive to the states of Montana and North Carolina; rather, it is the same video that is displayed to users in other areas that are restricted. Aylo is the owner of a number of other well-known pornographic companies, such as Brazzers, YouPorn, and RedTube. Visitors are being presented with the same video and statement by each and every one of them.
Pornhub maintains that the majority of its users are stubbornly unwilling to hand over their personal information in order to see adult content, which may be the true intention behind the legislation. The website claims that traffic in Louisiana has decreased by 80 percent despite the implementation of the state ID system; however, this does not indicate that everyone has given up on pornography on the internet. Similar to how it happened in every other state that Pornhub blacklisted, the number of searches for virtual private network (VPN) providers has skyrocketed in Montana and North Carolina. Unfortunately, Pornhub has discontinued its virtual private network (VPN) service. In addition, Pornhub asserts that the law will only serve to encourage individuals to access portions of the internet that are even more questionable and where the law is not enforced.
Even though Pornhub is doing well at the moment, the company could have to rethink its strategy if more states follow Louisiana’s lead. It is one thing to block a few states, but if every state with a right-leaning political ideology goes ahead and implements age verification rules, Aylo might have to deal with the situation.