Pornhub Blocks 25 States Over Age-Check Laws, Urges Device-Level Rules
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 29
Pornhub Blocks 25 States Over Age-Check Laws, Urges Device-Level Rules
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 29
Summary
Pornhub has cut off most access in 25 U.S. states and three countries rather than implement site-level age checks, calling the laws ineffective and privacy-risking.
More than 300 state officials received a Tuesday letter from Pornhub parent Aylo arguing lawmakers should require age verification at the device level, not force users to share personal data with third-party checks on individual sites.
Aylo said the shutdowns are a deliberate compliance tactic and a harder-edged lobbying push, contending users will migrate to less compliant and potentially riskier adult sites instead of stopping.
California’s device-based law is one model Pornhub supports, but Aylo says it still falls short because age signals currently reach app stores, not browsers and adult websites.
The company said it also blocked new users in the UK after six months under the Online Safety Act, framing the broader fight as pressure on Apple, Google and Microsoft to make devices kid-safe by default.