Pornhub shocks Utah by restricting access over age-verification law

Since Monday, Pornhub has begun blocking access for all Utah visitors, taking a strong stance against the state’s recently passed age-verification law. In a video statement that now appears on Pornhub’s homepage when Utah users attempt to access the adult site, Pornhub spokesperson Sharita Bell said the law was not a “real solution.”

“As you may know, your elected officials have required us to verify your age before granting you access to our website,” Bell said in the video. “While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users—and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk.”

In its statement, Pornhub warned that “without proper enforcement,” Utah’s law would put children and privacy at risk by driving Pornhub users to platforms that choose not to comply with the law—including pirate sites possibly hosting illegal content.