Pornhub, one of the world’s largest adult content platforms, has blocked access to its site in Utah due to the state’s new age verification law. The law, which went into effect today, requires websites with adult content to obtain age verification each time someone tries to access the site, or risk liability if a minor accesses the content.
In response, Pornhub’s owner, MindGeek, has posted a message on its site and other affiliated sites, stating that it has made the “difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Utah.”
“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,” the auto message to Utah users states.
Utah’s bill sponsor, state Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Woods Cross), believes that Pornhub will eventually comply with the state’s law, noting that the company has already begun verifying ages in Louisiana, which passed a similar law that took effect this year. However, Utah does not have a state-created digital wallet like Louisiana, making it more difficult for Pornhub to comply with the law.
This isn’t the first time Utah has taken a stand against pornography. In 2016, the state declared porn a “public health crisis,” a move that has been replicated in other states.
