Porn sites cut access to NC users just before new age check law starts Jan. 1
Several major porn websites have cut access to North Carolina users just before a new state law takes effect that requires these sites to verify users’ ages.
The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, requires pornographic websites to verify users in North Carolina are over the age of 18 through a commercially available database or “another commercially reasonable method for age and identity verification,” according to the bill.
Pornhub, one of the world’s leading free porn sites, is one of the sites cutting access. Its homepage now features a video message explaining the ban from Cherie DeVille, an adult performer.
“As you may know, your elected officials in North Carolina are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website,” DeVille says in the video. “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 adds that as the law has no “proper enforcement,” this gives platforms the choice whether to comply, opening the door for people to access unsafe sites.
“Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in North Carolina,” DeVille says.
Pornhub has more users than Netflix or Amazon, Politico reported, making it “the YouTube of pornography.”
The new law does not require sites to cut access to users but does say that users will be allowed to sue sites if their information is retained, which would be in violation of the law. Parents or guardians whose minor child is allowed to access porn will also be able to sue.
Access cut off in other states with laws
Other states across the nation have passed similar legislation requiring age checks, with similar reprisals from adult sites.
According to Politico, Pornhub has stopped operating in multiple states with such laws, including Mississippi, Utah and Virginia. Politico reports that these age-verification laws have had large bipartisan support, with their origin lying in an interaction between pop star Billie Eilish and media personality Howard Stern on the negative effects of pornography.
In North Carolina, the restriction was included in a larger bill, House Bill 8, which passed overwhelmingly in the Republican-controlled General Assembly with votes of 47-0 and 102-8, and was signed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
Still, the blocked access was met with backlash on the social media site Reddit, where hundreds of users lamented the decision, with a few stating it represented governmental intrusion.
How the new law will be implemented in North Carolina is not yet clear. But according to Wired, those who visit porn websites in states with similar laws are directed to a third-party site where they provide their government IDs, as previously reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Credit-card information, face scans and online parental consent forms could also be used to verify ages, according to a briefing from the European Commission, where similar laws have been passed, The Observer reported.
