Pornhub, the largest porn site in the US, blocks (ALL) Utahns ahead of new age verification law [View all]

[usonian]

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2023/05/01/pornhub-largest-porn-site-us/

In response to a bill sponsored by Utah State Sen. Todd Weiler requiring porn websites to verify the age of visitors, pornhub said:

“As you may know, your elected officials in Utah are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website,” a statement from Pornhub — and an accompanying SFW (suitable-for-work) video featuring adult performer Cherie DeVille — says.

“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 company says.

The statement adds that, without proper enforcement, underage users could be driven to other, less reputable sites that don’t have the same standards. The most effective solution, the company contends, 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 says. “Please contact your representatives before it is too late and demand device-based verification solutions that make the internet safer while also respecting your privacy.”

The state senator received angry phone calls.

BTW, such geofencing is arguably easy to bypass.