Pornhub Bans 1/3 of US Users, Sparking Surge in VPN Use

Pornhub, the world’s leading adult entertainment website, began restricting access to its website in more than one-third of the U.S. states this year in response to the age verification bill. The bill requires users to provide state-approved identification (e.g., passport, driver’s license) to confirm age. Pornhub criticized the move as an excessive invasion of privacy and responded by banning all state residents who have passed the Age Verification Act from accessing Pornhub to remind users to seek other solutions.

Since the implementation of the Age Verification Act, there has been a significant increase in searches for the word “VPN” in various states, and residents of all states are looking to use VPNs to hide their physical presence and bypass the government’s “age verification law” and Pornhub ban. According to SlashGear data, Texas was banned from Pornhub after the “Age Verification Act” was implemented in March last year, and then the number of searches for “Texas VPN” increased by 1,750%.

Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee, together with the states that have passed the Age Verification Act, there are currently 17 states in the United States that restrict residents under the age of 18 from accessing Pornhub and other online adult content sites, more than one-third of the United States, involving more than 120 million people.

Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, said that the age verification bill is violating user privacy in the name of protecting minors. Aylo pointed out that the implementation model of the verification method proposed by the Act poses a significant concern for data security. Based on the above considerations, the website will cease to provide services to the affected states if there is no other option.

When local residents browse Pornhub, a statement explaining the reason for the ban is displayed, and local legislators are encouraged to contact them for comment. The bill has sparked a wide debate about the technical feasibility and privacy rights. Emphasizing that requiring users to submit proof of identity increases the risk of data breaches and is more likely to lead to a more significant privacy crisis, Pornhub also said that complying with such regulations would be a heavy technical and resource burden and that Pornhub’s blanket ban policy could be seen as a form of indirect protest against the policy.

It’s worth noting that Pornhub ended its partnerships with Visa and Master back in 2020, and users still haven’t been able to pay for their subscriptions with credit cards, but this has also allowed Pornhub to take a different path and expand into cryptocurrency payment services. Currently, Pornhub accepts 27 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and more.

News Source: Independent