Floridians will no longer be able to access Pornhub, the world’s most visited adult entertainment website, starting January 1, 2024. The decision comes as a direct response from Pornhub, protesting Florida’s new age verification law.
What’s Happening?
When Florida users visit Pornhub, a popup message now informs them, “You will lose access to Pornhub in 13 days,” referencing the state’s newly enacted requirement for users to provide identification, such as a driver’s license, to access adult websites.
The popup elaborates, “We don’t want minors accessing our site and think preventing that from happening is a good thing, but putting everybody’s privacy at risk won’t achieve that.”
Users are also encouraged to read an op-ed by Alexzandra Kekesi, a representative for Pornhub, discussing the broader implications of the law. However, users can dismiss the message temporarily.
The Legislative Context Pornhub Is Fighting
This restriction follows the signing of HB 3 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this year. The law requires adult websites to implement either anonymous or standard age verification systems to ensure minors under 18 cannot access explicit content.
The legislation enforces compliance by introducing fines and civil liabilities for platforms that fail to meet the requirements.
The Free Speech Coalition, an advocacy group, has filed a legal challenge against the law, arguing that it places an undue burden on adults who wish to access legal content without compromising their privacy. They warn that the requirement for identification increases the risk of surveillance and erodes personal freedoms.
Wider Impact On Pornhub
Pornhub has previously withdrawn services in other states with similar laws, including Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
According to Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, these restrictions have a profound effect on user behavior. Following Louisiana’s implementation of a similar law, Pornhub’s traffic in the state dropped by 80%. However, Aylo contends, “These people did not stop looking for porn. They just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don’t ask users to verify age, that don’t follow the law … and that often don’t even moderate content.”
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