Pornhub goes dark in Arkansas after age verification law kicks in

Pornhub operator MindGeek has blocked all users in Arkansas from the site after the state’s new age verification law went into effect on Tuesday.

The Arkansas law, SB 66, doesn’t ban Pornhub from operating in the state, but it requires porn sites to verify that a user is 18 by confirming their age with identifying documents. On Wednesday, Pornhub blocked all traffic from IP addresses based in Arkansas in protest, arguing that the law, which was intended to protect children, actually harms users.

“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,” MindGeek wrote in a message replacing the site’s front page for affected users. The block also applies to other popular MindGeek adult sites, like RedTube.

Louisiana was the first state to approve rules requiring porn sites to verify the ages of users, and the law inspired more than a dozen US states to introduce copycat bills. Six states have approved similar measures, although some aren’t slated to go into effect for a few months. 

Responding to this wave of bans, MindGeek has decided to block access to its sites from states where the laws have gone into effect. As of publication, it has blocked people from Mississippi, Utah, and Virginia. 

After MindGeek started complying with the Louisiana law earlier this year, the company said traffic dropped by 80 percent. So, instead of rolling out age verification systems, it says it decided to block access entirely, calling on users to contact their state representatives to oppose these laws.