Pornhub vs. Utah: the fallout of a privacy dilemma
In the state of Utah, a notable uptick in search queries related to VPNs has emerged following Pornhub's decision to block access to its site for all residents in response to a new law requiring age verification. Utah is known for its conservative views on many social issues, including pornography, as well as its long-standing battle against adult content websites.
The battle for access to adult content
In 2016, a law compelling internet service providers to block access to sites considered "harmful to children" was passed in the state. Consequently, any platform hosting explicit content or other material interpreted as detrimental to minors had to be blocked.
Among the websites affected by this law was the prominent adult entertainment platform, Pornhub. Nevertheless, Pornhub, unwilling to accept defeat, embarked on a legal fight to defend viewers’ rights to access the information. Arguing that the Utah law infringed upon their right to freedom of speech, the company filed a lawsuit against the state.
The judges sided with Pornhub, stating that Utah's law was a violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Yet, Utah persisted and submitted an appeal. As a result, a federal judge lifted the decision to block Pornhub in Utah until the case is finally resolved.
New laws vs. Pornhub
In 2021, Governor Spencer Cox signed House Bill 72 into law, which requires all phones and tablets sold in Utah to automatically block pornography. As of May 3, 2023, Senate Bill 287, "Age Verification Requirements for Online Pornography Viewing," has come into effect, obligating users of pornographic websites to undergo an age verification process.
Sarah Bain, a partner-founder of Ethical Capital Partners, reported that traffic to Pornhub from the state of Utah dropped by 80% after the implementation of the age verification system. She noted that users are migrating to other portals that do not comply with the state's legislation.
In response, Pornhub opted to block access to its content for any user whose IP addresses are located in the state of Utah.
Instead of the main Pornhub homepage, a video featuring porn actress Cherie DeVille now appears, reciting the company's message: "While safety and compliance are at the core of our mission, presenting identification every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution to protect our users and essentially puts children and your privacy at risk," says DeVille in the clip. "Until a real solution is proposed, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Utah."
Overcoming the restrictions
Pornhub believes that the requirement to provide users' identification violates their privacy and instead suggests employing some sort of “device identification" for devices used by minors, preventing them from accessing dangerous sites. The block on access to the site within Utah will remain in place until a "real solution to the problem" is found, according to the company.
The good news is that it's possible to effortlessly overcome such restrictions and regain access to the content without any hassle. In order to bypass this block, a VPN such as AdGuard VPN is all you need. By downloading AdGuard VPN, you can access content without any invasive or privacy-threatening age verification methods. Additionally, AdGuard VPN ensures user privacy, allowing you to browse securely and anonymously.
