After Pornhub was blocked by the US state of Utah, VPN searches are on the rise
Searches for Internet workarounds exploded in the western US state of Utah on Wednesday after adult streaming powerhouse Pornhub blocked access due to a new erasure law.
Luxembourg-based MindGeek, which owns Pornhub, pulled the plug on Tuesday in protest of a Utah law requiring site visitors to prove their age with a state-issued ID.
Google data showed that VPN searches increased in the state, becoming the top search destination in Utah after the law went into effect.
In a video defending Pornhub’s decision, adult film actress Cherie DeVille said that “giving an ID every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution to protect users.”
“In fact,” he added, “it puts the kids and your privacy at risk.”
Instead, Pornhub promotes “device-based verification,” where users can verify their age using a smartphone, computer, or tablet.
US states are increasingly self-regulating online activity, and national legislation has been completely blocked in a bitterly divided Washington.
In 2016, Utah called pornography a public health crisis, and in February introduced a backup law that places restrictions on porn the same as buying alcohol or cigarettes.
Another Utah law passed in March requires children to obtain parental consent to use social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram.
The internet porn market leader has faced a growing backlash since The New York Times published an article in December 2020 accusing Pornhub of hosting illegal content online, including child pornography and rape videos.
That prompted lawmakers in Canada, where MindGeek is headquartered, to censure executives over alleged abuses, while Mastercard and Visa suspended payments at Pornhub. Its chief executive resigned in June 2022.
In March, the Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners announced that it would buy the troubled MindGeek.
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