Pornhub and Affiliated Sites Block Access in Texas Amid Legal Battle Over Age-Verification Law

In a significant development that has caught the attention of digital rights and adult entertainment circles alike, Pornhub along with its affiliated websites, has initiated a blockade on user access within the state of Texas. This move comes in the wake of an ongoing legal tussle with Texas’ Attorney General regarding a new age-verification law aimed at adult content platforms.

Recently, a decision by a federal appeals court upheld a Texas statute mandating pornography sites to implement age-verification protocols, ensuring that only individuals aged 18 and over can access their content. However, the court also invalidated a portion of the law that necessitated these sites to post “health warnings” concerning their content. This ruling followed a prior judgment by a federal judge, which contended that the Texas law infringed upon the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guards against restrictions on free speech. The Texas Attorney General’s Office swiftly appealed this decision.

A notable response to the legal requirements came from Pornhub and its parent company Aylo, which now presents a message to Texas-based users via their internet addresses. Reported initially by the Houston Chronicle, this message outlines the decision to disable access to their sites within Texas to adhere to the law. The message critiques the law for undermining the rights of adults to access protected speech and criticizes the approach taken by Texas officials as the “least effective and yet also most restrictive means” of protecting minors.

Pornhub’s statement further expresses concern over the safety and privacy implications of the age-verification requirements, labeling them as “ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous.” The company advocates for age verification on the device level as a more effective solution for safeguarding both minors and adults online. They warn that the Texas law may inadvertently drive users towards less regulated sites, lacking the robust safety measures that platforms like Pornhub have in place.

This development follows the enactment of the Texas law, Texas H.B. 11811, signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2023, which targets online publishers with content deemed “sexual material harmful to minors.” Despite the law’s scheduled implementation on September 1, 2023, its enforcement was temporarily halted due to a lawsuit led by the Free Speech Coalition, including Aylo, resulting in a preliminary injunction.

The move to restrict access in Texas places Pornhub and its network within a growing list of states enforcing similar age-verification laws, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Virginia, and Utah.

Behind Aylo stands Canadian private-equity firm Ethical Capital Partners, which acquired Pornhub’s predecessor, MindGeek, under undisclosed financial terms last year. ECP has committed to enhancing the company’s trust and safety measures, aspiring to make it a frontrunner in the fight against illegal online content.