Popular online porn sites like Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube have begun requiring proof of age for those in Louisiana wanting to visit their sites in accordance with a new state law requiring “reasonable age verification.” The law, signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-La., back in June, took effect Jan. 1.
“Any commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on the internet from a website that contains a substantial portion of such material shall be held liable if the entity fails to perform reasonable age verification methods to verify the age of individuals attempting to access the material,” the law states. “Pornography contributes to the hyper sexualization of teens and prepubescent children and may lead to low self-esteem, body image disorders, an increase in problematic sexual activity at younger ages, and increased desire among adolescents to engage in risky sexual behavior.”
Typically, websites showcasing adult-only content verify age by having visitors type their birthdate. Now, Pornhub’s website prompts visitors in Louisiana to download a state government app that allows them “to obtain a legal digital replica” of their driver’s license.
“We guarantee that Pornhub does not collect any data during this process,” Pornhub states in its prompt to Louisiana visitors. “This process is carried out by reputable service providers who specialize in verifying the age of online users. Your proof of age does not allow anyone to trace your online activity.”
The age verification law for porn sites was one of the more controversial laws passed in Louisiana last year. Some experts argued the verification process could potentially come with serious privacy risks for users.
“There is the explicit intention in the law that verifiers and websites that are using age verification should not retain [your information],” Jason Kelley, the associate director of digital strategy at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told NPR. “But users don’t have a lot of guarantees that it will happen and the data will be removed or deleted and [won’t be] shared or used in other ways.”
Ars Technica contributed to this report.
