https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/pornhub-blocked-texas-age-verification-19021482.php Houston Chronicle LogoHearst Newspapers Logo Skip to main content [ ] Subscribe Local News * Houston * Suburbs * Education * Environment * Health & Medicine Weather Politics * Houston * Texas * U.S. & World Business * Fuel Fix * Real Estate * Top Workplaces * Tech Sports * Texans * Astros * Rockets * Colleges * High Schools * Dynamo & Dash Entertainment Food * Restaurants & Bars * Restaurant Reviews * Barbecue Opinion * Editorials * Letters to the Editor * Columnists Interactives * Trackers * Texas Flood Map * Power Outage Tracker Investigations Newsletters * The 713 * Texas Take * Weekend Wrap Classifieds * Obituaries * Place an Obituary * Legal Notices * Place Legal Notices * Place Agent/Broker Ad La Voz de Houston Visuals Puzzles Podcasts About Us * Archive * Privacy Notice * Terms of Use * Chronicle Shop Houston Chronicle LogoSubscribe JUST IN 7 min ago Paxton accuses Colony Ridge developers of deceptive trade practices, fraud 7 min ago Politics//Texas Politics Pornhub disables website in Texas over objection to age verification law By Taylor Goldenstein, Austin BureauUpdated March 14, 2024 2:50 p.m. A mobile phone with the logo of Pornhub on its screen. A mobile phone with the logo of Pornhub on its screen. NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images One of the most-visited pornography websites, Pornhub, disabled its site in Texas on Thursday over objections to a state law that requires age verification to prevent access to minors. People who go to the site are now greeted with a long message from the company railing against the legal change as "ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous." The company calls for age verification by the makers of devices that let people on the internet, instead of individual websites. READ MORE: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Pornhub distributor for not verifying users' ages Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Until the real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Texas," the message read. The Republican-majority state Legislature passed the age verification law, HB 1181, last year. It requires companies that distribute "sexual material harmful to minors" to confirm visitors are over 18 with an online system that verifies users' government-issued identification or another commercially available system that uses public or private data. The sites are not permitted to retain identifying information. Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the company that owns Pornhub to force compliance with the state's age verification law and threatened millions of dollars in civil penalties. "Texas has a right to protect its children from the detrimental effects of pornographic content," Paxton said in a statement when he filed the suit. "I look forward to holding any company accountable that violates our age verification laws intended to prevent minors from being exposed to harmful, obscene material on the internet." The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in November of last year upheld the law, which carries fines of up to $10,000 a day, an additional $10,000 per day if the company illegally retains identifying information, and $250,000 if one or more children are exposed to explicit content due to the violation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Paxton's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Sen. Angela Paxton, a Dallas-area Republican who carried the bill in the state Senate and is married to the attorney general, commented on the shutdown on social media, writing: "I am glad to see our hard work in passing #HB1181 is paying off. It's time to protect our children from the harmful content on these sites." A representative of Pornhub confirmed the website was down, but did not elaborate on whether the takedown is permanent or temporary. The company in its note raised concerns that the law was passed "without any means to enforce at scale" and would drive users to websites "with far fewer safety measures in place, which do not comply" with the law. The "only effective solution," the company writes, would be putting the age-verification onus on the manufacturers and operating-system providers of devices that have internet access, such as computer, tablet and cell phone makers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That might look like a retailer verifying a person's age at the point of sale and installing content-blocking software if they are underage, the note says. The data would be "stored on a network controlled by the device manufacturer or the supplier of the device's operating system." The Pornhub representative referred Hearst to a fact sheet laying out the company's concern that jurisdictions with site-level age verification are creating a "high risk of data theft and privacy violation" for people who will repeatedly have to input personally identifiable information. "We call on all adult sites to comply with the law," the note reads. By disabling the site, the company said: "We are complying with the law, as we always do, but hope that governments around the world will implement laws that actually protect the safety and security of users." The website is also down in at least five other states because of similar laws -- Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia -- according to PC Magazine. Advertisement Article continues below this ad March 14, 2024|Updated March 14, 2024 2:50 p.m. By Taylor Goldenstein Taylor Goldenstein is a state bureau reporter covering the Attorney General and federal courts among other topics. She can be reached at taylor.goldenstein@houstonchronicle.com. She's previously written for the Austin-American Statesman, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Tampa Bay Times. She hails from the suburbs of Chicago and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2014, she was a visiting fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Most Popular 1. Pornhub disables website in Texas over objection to age verification law 2. Here's where to get deals on pies, pizza during Pi Day in Houston 3. Hail and tornadoes are coming to Texas this week. Here's where and when. 4. Risk of severe storms Thursday shrinks in Houston area 5. Whitmire, Houston firefighters announce $650M backpay to end contract stalemate Latest Politics News Paxton accuses Colony Ridge developers of deceptive trade practices, fraud Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the Houston-area developers of deceptive trade... Rain falls Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in the Colony Ridge neighborhood in Liberty County. Pornhub disables website in Texas over objection to age verification law One of the most-visited pornography websites, Pornhub, disabled its site in Texas on... A mobile phone with the logo of Pornhub on its screen. (Photo by Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Whitmire, Houston firefighters announce $650M backpay to end contract stalemate Houston taxpayers will spend more than $650 million to settle City Hall's long-running... Marty Lancton, the head of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, stands with his membership during a march on City Hall over the labor dispute related to Proposition B in March 2019. Texas Medical Board considers guidance on when abortions are allowed Major lawsuits by nearly two dozen Texas women alleged their lives and future fertility... Dr. Austin Dennard of Dallas holds her son as they walk out of the Texas Supreme Courtroom with Lauren Miller of Dallas on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Both women are part of the Zurawski v. Texas case, a major challenge to the state's bortion ban led by more than 20 women suing for clarified medical exemptions. The women on the lawsuit, which was filed in March, say they were denied care and their health was jeopardized because the law is overly vague. New court rule could block Texas AG Ken Paxton from 'judge shopping' Paxton has repeatedly turned to single-judge divisions to block the Biden administration... Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in November 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/TNS) Editor's Picks Thousands of HISD students are leaving post-takeover Education Thousands of HISD students are leaving post-takeover Turkey Leg Hut office fire investigation ongoing Houston Turkey Leg Hut office fire investigation ongoing Whitmire: Suspended police reports are 'our highest priority Crime Whitmire: Suspended police reports are 'our highest priority Best Chronicle photos of the 2024 Houston Rodeo so far Rodeo Best Chronicle photos of the 2024 Houston Rodeo so far Featured Interactives Photos from the SpaceX Starship launch in Texas Space Photos from the SpaceX Starship launch in Texas Map: The best places to find bluebonnets and other wildflowers... Houston Map: The best places to find bluebonnets and other wildflowers... Waller's 10 most expensive homes listed for sale in March Cy-Fair Waller's 10 most expensive homes listed for sale in March Is Spring earlier in Houston this year? Here's what the data... Weather Is Spring earlier in Houston this year? Here's what the data... Return To Top Houston Chronicle Logo About Our CompanyCareersOur Use of AIStandards and Practices Contact Customer ServiceFrequently Asked QuestionsNewsroom Contacts Services ArchivesAdvertisingCorporate Subscriptions Account Subscribee-EditionNewsletters About * Our Company * Careers * Our Use of AI * Standards and Practices Contact * Customer Service * Frequently Asked Questions * Newsroom Contacts Services * Archives * Advertising * Corporate Subscriptions Account * Subscribe * e-Edition * Newsletters Hearst Newspapers Logo (c) 2024 Hearst Newspapers, LLCPrivacy NoticeYour California Privacy RightsInterest Based AdsTerms of Use