texas

Pornhub blocks access to site in Texas over age-verification law

The law requires adult websites to verify users are at least 18 years old using a government-issued ID or public or private transactional data" before being allowed to access the content.

Pornhub logo.
Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic via Getty Images

Pornhub and other adult websites have disabled access to their sites in Texas after a recent court ruling upheld the state's new age-verification law.

In a letter posted on its site Thursday, Pornhub deemed the new Texas law ineffective and "dangerous," adding that it will directly impact content creators' ability to distribute their adult content legally.

"While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, providing identification every time you want to visit an adult platform is not an effective solution for protecting users online, and in fact, will put minors and your privacy at risk," the letter read.

The bill, officially named House Bill 118, went into effect in September last year but was prevented from going into effect a month later following a lawsuit by a coalition of groups, including Pornhub's parent company Aylo Global Entertainment.

But last week the U.S. Fifth Circuit of Appeals upheld the law following an appeal from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The law requires adult websites to verify users are at least 18 years old using a government-issued ID or public or private transactional data" before being allowed to access the content.

In a post on X, the bill's author state Sen. Angela Paxton, defended the bill, adding it creates an "age verification requirement for online pornography websites in Texas to protect minors from accessing their harmful content."

Last year Pornhub also restricted access to its site in Utah after the state passed a similar age-verification law.

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