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Bonk, straight to horny jail for you… at least if you're in Texas. But I guess if you're in Texas, you've always kinda been in horny jail.
In case you missed it, Pornhub has disabled access to its site for users in Texas. This morning, when Texans woke up to fap a big fat juicy one out, they were greeted with a disabled message from Pornhub. This move stems from Texas’s 2023 age verification bill, H.B. 11811, signed into effect by Governor Gregg Abbott. Initially set to take effect in September 2023, it was delayed due to a lawsuit filed by the Free Speech Group, which includes advocacy and activist groups, along with stakeholders like Pornhub.
This bill mandates websites, featuring more than one-third 'sexual material harmful to minors,' to verify visitors' age using government-issued IDs. While aimed at blocking children's access, it encroaches on the rights of consenting adults and falls short of its 'protecting children' objective. Let's be real, kids are resourceful; if they want porn, they'll find it, VPNs make it easy.
Age verification is hardly a new concept, but in the digital age, it has its own unique implications. While there are many different types of age verification, more and more digital age verifications are relying less on the honor system and more on personal identification. These types of digital verifications typically then require you to use a government ID or a real-time image to verify your age. Often times, these are not processes that are built into the websites or apps themselves and instead rely on third-party partnerships. It can be hard to tell what then happens to your personal and private data. Is it deleted or stored? How long is it stored for? Who has access to it? What type of security precautions are these companies taking to protect your data from a breach?
In a world that doesn’t give two shits about cybersecurity, it’s completely possible that your data could be leaked without your knowledge, all because you were trying to access a porn site. Regardless of the security implications of digital age verification, I don’t personally believe states have the legal right to tell you what sites you are able to access depending on your age, location, or any other factors. How you choose to use the internet is completely up to you, and a government should not require you to surrender your data and risk a potential breach to use it. Upholding digital autonomy and resisting government overreach is crucial for preserving individual freedoms online, which, as we know, have real world implications. The more cynical side of me also is begging to ask where the parents are, and why are the lives of adults being impacted by disengaged parents?
Bills like this are in part the result of many of our elected officials not understanding how things like the internet, social media, or tech companies work. Unfortunately, much like media literacy, digital literacy is at an all-time low. They are also part of an increasing bending to Christian evangelical groups working to turn back the rights of trans people, sex workers, people of color, and all other marginalized groups. The concept of a separation of church and state is in its dark age. Lastly, age verification bills like Texas’s recent bill are a way to normalize both a police state and censorship. They seek to strip us of our right to privacy and freedom.
References & Readings
The Trouble With Digital Age Verification
Pornhub Disables Website in Texas Over Age-Verification Law
Pornhub blocks access in Mississippi and Virginia over age verification laws
What To Know About Florida’s Social Media Ban For Kids Under 16
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