Pornhub goes darkish in Arkansas after age verification legislation kicks in

Pornhub operator MindGeek has blocked all users in Arkansas from the positioning after the state’s new age verification legislation went into impact on Tuesday.

The Arkansas legislation, SB 66, doesn’t ban Pornhub from working within the state, but it surely requires porn websites to confirm {that a} consumer is eighteen by confirming their age with figuring out paperwork. On Wednesday, Pornhub blocked all visitors from IP addresses primarily based in Arkansas in protest, arguing that the legislation, which was supposed to guard kids, really harms customers.

“Whereas security and compliance are on the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card each time you need to go to an grownup platform is just not the best answer for safeguarding our customers, and actually, will put kids and your privateness in danger,” MindGeek wrote in a message changing the positioning’s entrance web page for affected customers. The block additionally applies to different fashionable MindGeek grownup websites, like RedTube.

Louisiana was the first state to approve rules requiring porn websites to confirm the ages of customers, and the legislation impressed greater than a dozen US states to introduce copycat payments. Six states have permitted related measures, though some aren’t slated to enter impact for a couple of months. 

Responding to this wave of bans, MindGeek has determined to dam entry to its websites from states the place the legal guidelines have gone into impact. As of publication, it has blocked folks from Mississippi, Utah, and Virginia. 

After MindGeek began complying with the Louisiana legislation earlier this 12 months, the corporate stated visitors dropped by 80 p.c. So, as a substitute of rolling out age verification programs, it says it determined to dam entry fully, calling on customers to contact their state representatives to oppose these legal guidelines.