Citing recent restrictions on online sexual content made by the Missouri Attorney General, Pornhub – the largest pornography website – suspended service in the state of Missouri. Under the new rule put into effect on Monday, pornography sites that wish to operate in Missouri must now verify that users are adults before granting them access to explicit content.
The change caused Pornhub to block access in Missouri, issuing a statement calling the new rule ineffective and a potential risk to user privacy. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who took over the policy after it was initiated by her predecessor, celebrated the news, calling Pornhub’s decision proof that the rule is needed.
“If a billion-dollar corporation would rather leave Missouri than verify that children are not accessing graphic sexual content,” she said, “that tells you everything you need to know about its priorities… If you want to operate in Missouri, you must prove your users are adults. If that is too much to ask, then you will not operate here.”
It’s already illegal to show pornography to children under federal law; however, it’s rarely enforced. Various measures exist to verify a person’s age online, such as uploading a government ID or consenting to facial recognition software. The new Missouri rule requires any commercial website or platform to implement some form of age-verification measure if at least a third of the content it offers is pornographic. Platforms that refuse to comply are subject to penalties, injunctive relief, and enforcement actions for engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.
Further details can be found here via the Missouri Independent.