Pornhub has blocked Utah residents from accessing its site in a protest against a new law that mandates stricter age-verification measures.
In an apparent protest against a new law that mandates stricter age-verification measures, Pornhub, one of the largest adult content websites on the internet, has blocked Utah residents from accessing its site.
What Happened: The visitors from Utah to the adult content website Pornhub on Monday first noticed that they were blocked from accessing the site, reported Fox13.
The initial message posted by the website read “403 | This state is not whitelisted,” which was later changed to a lengthy message informing users about the reason for the block. The block was apparently a protest against a new law that imposes "obligations and liabilities for a commercial entity that provides pornography or other materials harmful to minors."
“As you may know, your elected officials in Utah are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website. 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 site’s message read.
The adult content site argued that it has strong safety measures in place to prevent minors from accessing its content and that the age-verification measures required by the state of Utah were not properly enforced. “Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Utah.”
It also urged Utah residents to contact their elected lawmakers to demand “solutions that make the internet safer while also respecting your privacy.”
Why It Matters: Pornhub is protesting Utah’s Senate Bill 287, which was unanimously passed by the legislature this year. It comes into effect on May 3.
The bill requires age-verification systems for adult content sites and allows for third-party or other systems to do as such. It is similar to one passed by Louisiana’s state legislature.
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