As of Wednesday, some of the largest adult websites on the internet, including Pornhub, have blocked access to Utah-based users due to a new age verification law.
The law, known as SB287, which was signed by Utah Governor Spencer Cox in March, aims to hold adult websites accountable for making their content accessible to minors under the age of 18.
To oppose this law, Pornhub and other adult sites under the control of its parent company, MindGeek, have begun blocking visitors with IP addresses located in Utah.
Instead of adult content, users from the affected area will see a message from the site expressing their disagreement with SB287.
“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 statement reads. “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. Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Utah.”
The statement claims that the age verification requirement could lead users to visit websites with fewer safety measures and suggests that policymakers identify users based on their device, rather than requiring them to upload their photo ID.
