this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2025
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Summary

Several U.S. states have enacted laws requiring pornography sites, such as PornHub, to implement age verification to prevent minors' access, prompting the site’s parent company, Aylo, to block access in affected states.

Proponents argue these laws protect children, while critics highlight privacy risks, inefficiencies, and potential censorship.

These measures reflect growing social conservatism, with some advocates aiming to restrict adult content broadly.

While privacy-focused age verification methods exist, regulatory clarity is lacking.

Critics warn these laws may suppress responsible platforms, favoring unregulated alternatives, and escalate broader culture wars around sexuality and LGBTQ+ rights.

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 4 days ago (4 children)

While privacy-focused age verification methods exist

verification methods may 'exist', but there are exactly zero which can guarantee security and privacy.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

The most surprising thing to me is that PornHub is owned by a multinational Canada based private equity firm Aylo. I guess surprising might not be the right word, maybe morbidly reassuring that no one escapes from the slimy hands of late capitalism.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 days ago

Yeah, let's get back to small business "mom and pop" pornography vendors!

[–] [email protected] 153 points 4 days ago (4 children)

With this method, users take a photo of their face which is then analyzed by AI to estimate their age. Tombs says this involves no analysis of the user’s actual identity, and that all photos are deleted once the check is finished. Hence, neither Yoti nor the porn site ever needs to know who you are.

No. Fuck no. Just… wow.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 days ago (8 children)

What stops you from taking a picture of a picture of some random adult's face?

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I rate they're intending to keep those photos, but will stop when an exec with a little bit of humanity has a change of heart after checking the database when he realises he is looking into the eyes of a unkempt man with visible depression who is going to spend the next 15 minutes trying to settle on a video and another two minutes masturbating.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

We miss you, Larry Flynt. (Not really, he sucked in other ways a great deal, but he at least fought the good fight in this domain)

[–] [email protected] 42 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I loved it when he decided to get revenge on Republicans prosecuting Clinton for getting a blowjob by publishing and distributing a single-issue magazine filled with detailed information about prominent congressmen and their mistresses.

Like you said, he was a piece of shit in a lot of ways, but he did a few things I will happily remember him for.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Larry Flynt was the Thomas Jefferson of the modern age.

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[–] [email protected] 179 points 4 days ago (3 children)

It's a classic tactic, use a somewhat legitimate concern (Minors having access to pornography). And blow it far out of proportion, and use it as an excuse to crackdown on what you're really after. You will see people defending these bans because the "reasoning" they're being presented SEEMS rational, but unwittingly they're supporting a mass crackdown on their own rights.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 4 days ago (5 children)

somewhat legitimate concern (Minors having access to pornography).

Counterpoint: accessing pornography is part of growing up.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (9 children)

There's A LOT of unhealthy porn, especially for kids. Especially for kids with no sex education. It's also easier for them to get addicted.

You could also say alcohol is part of growing up, because for many it is.

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[–] [email protected] 100 points 4 days ago (1 children)

See also: The constant push by governments to take away our right to private (encrypted) communications.

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