Pornhub has disabled access to its platform in Texas due to a newly enacted state law requiring age verification to prevent minors from viewing explicit content. As of Thursday, visitors to the site from Texas are greeted with a message criticizing the law as “ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous.”
The law in question, HB 1181, was passed by the Republican-controlled Texas legislature last year. It mandates that websites distributing sexual material must use an online age verification system to confirm viewers are over 18 by verifying government IDs or other personal data. However, the sites cannot retain any identifying user information.
In February, Pornhub’s parent company was sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for non-compliance with the new regulations. Paxton stated the state has “a right to protect its children” and vowed to hold violators accountable with potential fines of up to $10,000 per day.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law in November, clearing the way for its enforcement. Republican State Senator Angela Paxton, who sponsored the bill, celebrated Pornhub’s shutdown as protecting children from “harmful content.” Senator Paxton also happens to be the wife of AG Paxton.
In its on-site message, Pornhub argues the law lacks a viable “means to enforce at scale” and could push users to unregulated sites with fewer safeguards. The company advocates for age verification at the device manufacturer or operating system level instead of individual websites.
Pornhub has also disabled its platform in at least five other states with similar age verification laws — Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia. It may also soon restrict access in Canada. The company insists it is complying with the laws while calling for regulations that better “protect the safety and security of users.”
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