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Pornhub has disabled its site in Texas in response to the state\u2019s online age verification law. The site now displays a message to users in the state that says having to provide an ID when accessing an adult website \u201cis not an effective solution for protecting users online.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cAs you may know, your elected officials in Texas are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you to access our website,\u201d Pornhub says in a notice to users. \u201cNot only does this impinge on the rights of adults to access protected speech, it fails strict scrutiny by employing the least effective and yet also the most restrictive means of accomplishing Texas\u2019s stated purpose of allegedly protecting minors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Pornhub argues that on-device age verification is \u201cthe only effective solution for protecting minors and adults alike.\u201d This method could involve using facial recognition or another method<\/a> to verify a user\u2019s age locally on their device.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cUnfortunately the Texas law for age verification is ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous,\u201d Alex Kekesi, Aylo\u2019s vice president of brand and community says in an emailed statement to The Verge.<\/em> \u201cNot only will it not actually protect children,\u202fit will inevitably reduce\u202fcontent creators\u2019\u202fability to post and distribute legal adult content and directly\u202fimpact\u202ftheir ability to share the artistic messages they\u202fwant to convey with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Pornhub may soon run into issues outside the US, too. The European Union\u2019s Digital Services Act (DSA) designates Pornhub<\/a> and other adult sites as \u201cVery Large Online Platforms,\u201d which could require them to implement age verification and take down illegal content. Pornhub sued the EU over its designation last month, according to a report from Politico<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n