Pornhub threatens to close in some regions due to new identification rule

Pornhub, a popular pornography site, plans to shut down its service in some US regions due to new legislation that requires adult content platforms to include a verification method to ensure that users visiting a website are of legal age.

Currently, Pornhub has already closed access to its service in regions such as Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Virginia, Montana, North Carolina and Mississippi, and next July they will do the same in states such as Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky and Nebraskawhere the new rule will take effect, Pornhub itself said in a statement.

We reiterate that this rule requires companies offering adult services to offer a method of identity verification to ensure that those accessing the content are of legal age. The verification process consists of upload a copy of an official document, such as an ID card, passport or driver’s license, so that the platform manually checks its accuracy.

Pornhub, however, claims that this process poses a significant risk to user privacy. They claim that “This means sending private information to adult sites on the Internet multiple times.t while normalizing the disclosure of personal information online.” The company also clarifies that this verification method will also pose a “significant risk of identity theft” as it will require users to hand over sensitive information.

The alternative that Pornhub offers

The adult content platform says that when the measure went into effect in Louisiana, Traffic to their website dropped by 80%. but even so, users continued to consume pornography; “They simply moved very easily to pirated, illegal or other sites that do not comply with the rules and do not ask visitors to verify their age,” they elaborate.

The company, however, says it agrees to limit access to minors. However, he suggests other verification methods, like the one included in the device itself. That is, a system in which personal data is entered locally on the user’s device or stored on a network managed by the manufacturer of said device as well as the operating system provider.

“This means that users will only be verified once through their operating system, rather than on every age-restricted site. “This significantly reduces privacy risks and simplifies regulatory enforcement,” they detail.