Jamie F
Pornhub has kicked off 2024 by blocking the site in Montana and North Carolina due to new age verification rules, following the introduction of blocks in a handful of other states in 2023.
Aylo (formerly MindGeek) blocked its flagship porn site after the two states followed Louisiana’s lead by introducing tougher new age verification processes to stop minors accessing porn. Aylo’s other porn sites, including Redtube, Brazzers and YouPorn, have also been blocked.
Last year Aylo blocked Pornhub and other porn sites it owned in Virginia, Mississippi, Utah and Louisiana. It’s still possible to easily access these sites from inside these states by using a virtual proxy network (VPN) service on your device.
Now if you try to access Pornhub in Montana or North Carolina, without using a VPN, you’re faced with a video message from porn performer Cherie Deville (pictured above).
“Your elected officials in your state are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website. While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk,” she says.
DeVille adds: “We believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials and websites based on that identification. Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in your state.”
Some porn sites not owned by Aylo have introduced age verification through third-party services, to comply with the new state rules. 404media reported that if you try to access xHamster in North Carolina or Montana now, you have to verify that you’re aged 18 or over using the Yoti digital identity service.
While some smaller porn sites may be more successful in flying under the radar of new age verification rules, at least for a time, as one of the world’s biggest porn sites Pornhub faces greater scrutiny.
In 2023 Aylo attempted to draw a line between the Pornhub brand’s controversial past, that has seen it facing sex trafficking lawsuits and be exposed for allegedly hosting illegal content, and a more ‘ethical’ future. The rebrand from MindGeek to Aylo coincided with a Canadian firm called Ethical Capital Partners taking over the company.
Aylo has continued to face lawsuits, though, including a new case related to alleged sex trafficking and alleged human trafficking, filed by a new group of women claiming to have been duped by defunct porn studio GirlsDoPorn.
Pornhub has made civil case payments to women making accusations about Pornhub hosting content featuring coerced or deceived models in the past.
