Industry Giant Protests State Requirements as Legal Battle Looms
In a dramatic development that highlights the growing tension between digital privacy and child protection, Pornhub announced it will block access to Florida users when the state’s new age verification law takes effect on January 1, 2025.
The new legislation
House Bill 3 (HB-3), Florida’s latest attempt to protect minors online, requires adult websites to implement strict age verification measures. The law joins similar legislation passed in 19 other states since 2022, reflecting a growing national movement to regulate online adult content access.
Industry response and legal challenge
The Free Speech Coalition, representing the adult entertainment industry, has filed a federal lawsuit to block the law’s implementation. Mike Stabile, the coalition’s public policy director, expressed serious concerns about user privacy: “When you’re uploading an ID or when you’re doing this type of verification, nothing is ever secure. You are asking people who are legal adults to risk their privacy and risk possible surveillance to access the internet.”
Ian Corby, director of the Age Verification Providers Association, defended the law’s privacy provisions: “The Florida law includes, explicitly, a requirement for anonymous age verification done by a third-party. Our entire industry was created to prove your age online and not have to disclose your identity.”
State’s position
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody stands firm behind the legislation: “As a mother, and Florida’s Attorney General, I will fight aggressively in court to ensure the ability to protect Florida children.”
Pornhub’s parent company responds
Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, released a detailed statement explaining their position: “First, to be clear, Aylo has publicly supported age verification of users for years, but we believe that any law to this effect must preserve user safety and privacy, and must effectively protect children from accessing content intended for adults.”
The company further warned about potential risks: “Unfortunately, the way many jurisdictions worldwide, including Florida, have chosen to implement age verification is ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous. Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information is putting user safety in jeopardy.”
As the January 1 deadline approaches, the outcome of this legal challenge could set significant precedents for internet regulation and digital privacy across the United States. The case highlights the complex balance between protecting minors and maintaining adult privacy rights in the digital age.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.