Florida Residents Will Soon Lose Access to Pornhub

Florida residents will soon lose access to Pornhub as the adult content platform plans to geoblock the state starting January 1, 2025. The decision is in response to HB3, a new law requiring websites hosting material deemed “harmful to minors” to implement age verification processes that include government-issued identification. Pornhub has described the law as invasive and impractical, raising concerns about privacy and censorship.

Visitors to the site in Florida have already been met with a blunt popup warning of the impending block. The message reads: “YOU WILL LOSE ACCESS TO PORNHUB IN 14 DAYS. Did you know that your government wants you to give your driver’s license before you can access PORNHUB? As crazy as it sounds, it’s true.” The notice highlights the law’s requirement for users to upload their ID to access adult content, a step Pornhub’s parent company Aylo opposes as risky for user privacy.

Florida’s law follows similar measures in Republican-led states such as Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and others. In most cases, Pornhub has opted to block access rather than comply. In Louisiana, where a similar law took effect last year, Pornhub initially complied but saw an 80% drop in traffic. The company argues such measures do not prevent people from accessing pornography but instead push users toward less-regulated platforms that lack content moderation or safety protocols.

HB3’s language defines “harmful to minors” based on subjective community standards, allowing for broad interpretation. The law also mandates “anonymous age verification,” which critics say is contradictory when government-issued ID is required. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Free Speech Coalition have both condemned the law, with the latter calling it a form of “state censorship” and warning of a chilling effect on discussions surrounding sex and sexuality.

Pornhub’s parent company advocates for device-based age verification as a safer and more effective alternative. “The best solution to make the internet safer, preserve user privacy, and prevent children from accessing adult content is performing age verification at the source: on the device,” Aylo said in a statement.

Despite the intention to protect minors, critics argue laws like HB3 create more harm than good by driving users to darker corners of the internet where safety and accountability are absent. As the debate over privacy, safety, and censorship continues, Floridians will face the consequences of the new law when Pornhub officially blocks access on January 1.