PornHub has announced plans to add Florida to the list of states where it will block adult content in January. Floridians who recently accessed Pornhub were met with a stern warning stating, “You’ll lose access to Pornhub in 14 days” due to a newly enacted state law mandating ID verification for website visitors.
PornHub has taken measures to block access to certain states, effective immediately, in response to newly implemented state laws mandating the provision of a valid government-issued identification to verify users’ ages and ensure compliance with existing regulations. Florida’s Legislature has handed a significant win to Gov. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on March 25 as part of a series of regulations aimed at protecting minors from explicit content. The Adult Leisure Commerce Association, also known as the Free Speech Coalition, is challenging Florida’s legislation in federal court, citing concerns that the statute’s broad language could lead to the prosecution of constitutionally protected speech.
Florida is poised to become the 13th state to enact an age verification law for adult websites. Florida has implemented ID verification legal guidelines alongside those in Arkansas and Virginia, while Mississippi also has laws in place regarding this issue.
“Not only does this infringement impermissibly restrict adults’ right to engage in constitutionally protected speech, but it also flunks strict scrutiny by employing the most inefficient and restrictive method of fulfilling the state’s acknowledged obligation to protect minors.”
While PornHub’s blog claims to prioritize child safety and well-being, its proposal to use ID verification raises concerns about increased risks to customers’ privacy and security. Louisiana’s lack of a dedicated state regulator to oversee the implementation of its newly enacted laws results in a flawed enforcement regime, according to PornHub’s blog.
