Access to popular adult websites is becoming increasingly limited in the US South, as Aylo, the owner of Pornhub, has expanded restrictions to an additional three states due to age verification laws. This development, which took effect Wednesday, now affects Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee, bringing the total to 17 states where Aylo sites, including Pornhub, RedTube, and YouPorn, are inaccessible, as reported by 404 Media.
These newly restricted states join Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. With Georgia’s pending legislation set to begin in July, the blackout could soon cover nearly the entire South.
Residents attempting to visit these sites now encounter messages highlighting that their access is blocked for their safety. Aylo has expressed opposition to age verification laws, arguing that while they aim to prevent children from accessing adult content, they inadvertently hinder lawful adult access and push users towards less regulated and potentially unsafe websites.
Aylo contends that collecting personal information from users, as required by these laws, creates privacy risks and fails to genuinely safeguard minors if not enforced properly. Consequently, users may resort to alternative non-compliant sites or evade the regulations, Aylo suggested in a statement to 404 Media.
The blockade strategy by Aylo raises questions about regulatory approaches that balance child protection with adult privacy and accessibility, with the ongoing situation stimulating broader debates around implementation practices. For further details, see the report by Ars Technica.