LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The world's largest porn website will soon be unavailable in Kentucky following the passage of House Bill 278.
PornHub, which averages more monthly visits than Netflix, recently announced it will shut down access statewide beginning in July. HB 278 flew through both chambers this year without a single no vote after a push from Republicans.
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear signed it into law and it will take effect July 15. The legislation requires websites containing content considered "harmful to minors" to collect documents proving a user is at least 18 years old.
PornHub decided to take itself offline statewide rather than comply with the new law. A message on the website reads in part:
"Do you know that your government wants you to give your driver's license before you can access PORNHUB? As crazy as that sounds, it's true. As of July 10, you'll be required to prove you are 18 years or older such as by uploading your government ID for every adult content website you'd like to access."
In the statement, the site expresses support for keeping children away from adult content, but "putting everybody's privacy at risk" isn't the right solution.
A similar law was passed last year in Louisiana.
The Family Foundation, a Kentucky-based Christian public policy organization, applauded PornHub's exit from the state:
“This is another big victory for protecting kids across Kentucky. Families are facing the harrowing task of protecting their children from a wide range of online harms – including pornography and its devastating consequences. We celebrate that Pornhub is leaving Kentucky, as it has done in other states, when laws are passed preventing access for children. We must continue to protect children online from the massive porn and social media industries that should be protecting kids rather than profiting from them."
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