(Washington) The introduction in the US state of Utah of a strict age restriction on accessing pornographic sites prompted a jump in Internet searches on Wednesday for VPN, a tool that allows a different location to be displayed at the actual geographical position.
According to statistics from the Google search engine, requests from Internet users for VPN (virtual private network) access exploded in this western American state a few hours after the law came into force, to the point of becoming the most popular query.
The global porn giant Mindgeek, which notably owns the very popular site Pornhub, blocked all access to its platform in Utah on Tuesday, in response to the decision of local authorities to require Internet users to prove their age with their identity card. identity to access the site.
In a Pornhub video defending her decision, porn actress Cherie Deville claims that “give your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution to protect our users “.
“In reality, [this] will put children and your confidential data at risk,” she adds.
Pornhub instead promotes an “on-device verification” system, through which users can verify their age using their smartphones, computer, or tablet.
In 2016, Utah called pornography a public health crisis. This Republican-dominated state is two-thirds populated by Mormons, with strong social conservatism.
And in February 2023, the Age Verification Bill was introduced in that state to apply access restrictions to pornographic content similar to those in place for alcohol or cigarettes.
Another bill would require social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to also verify a user’s age.
Mindgeek, a leader in online pornography, has faced fierce criticism since the New York Times published an article in December 2020 in which Pornhub was accused of uploading illegal content, including child pornography and sexual abuse. rape videos.
In Canada, parliamentarians questioned company executives about the alleged abuses, while credit card giants Mastercard and Visa suspended payments on the Pornhub site.
Mindgeek’s top executives resigned in June 2022 and the group was bought out by an investment fund in March 2023.
