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] 2 points 6 days ago

Often on 1337x I find nsfw stuff. I wonder if there are people torrenting this stuff

[–] [email protected] 179 points 1 week 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] 101 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 week ago (3 children)

somewhat legitimate concern (Minors having access to pornography).

Counterpoint: accessing pornography is part of growing up.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 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.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Yeah, but the people banning porn are also banning sex Ed, so definitely seems more about control/abuse of power than concern for kids.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

So, to an extent sure, I don't think it's some horrible thing for simply moralistic reasons, everyone has to discover their sexuality one way or another. However, I do think maybe having an entire digital library of smut dumped in your lap the moment you have access to a smartphone and some private time is probably not good for your sexual development. Ideally we'd just have parents/guardians use some common sense and take advantage of parental controls to limit access. But, we both know that many are neglectful or simply busy with trying to make ends meet to constantly monitor these things. Is the right answer government intervention? I'm personally more than a little skeptical, but I can see why some people see it as a valid concern.

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[–] [email protected] 154 points 1 week ago (5 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] 30 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 1 week ago

when an exec with a little bit of humanity has a change of heart

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago

It might stop when the DB gets compromised and some exec gets threatened with the release of all his weird kinks going public.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago (8 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago

Everyone should just upload a picture of Trump.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago

Or an AI generated one even

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

Hahaha how easy it will be to fool the AI.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Why? Just take a picture of your neighbor.

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[–] [email protected] 67 points 1 week ago

Right. "Protecting children". Meanwhile, lowering the age range for child workers...

"No beating off! You need to save your energy for the night shift."

https://clockify.me/learn/business-management/minimum-working-age-by-state/

https://www.google.com/search?q=+child+workers+over+night

[–] [email protected] 62 points 1 week ago (3 children)

While privacy-focused age verification methods exist

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

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"trust me bro" isn't good enough for you? What're you hiding?

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[–] [email protected] 60 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Fascists view sexuality as a threat to their movements.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 week ago

Fascists view knowledge as a threat. They use sexuality as another means of segregation.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago

They view it as another tool to oppress us. They know it's not a threat to them. The only threat to them is organized resistance.

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 week ago (4 children)

"it's for the children" is always a red flag

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago

classic fascist tactic. there's a reason half of the 14 words is about children

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

they keep saying its about trans people but then they keep blocking porn so i don't know what it is. i think christians and conservatives are stupid as fuck

[–] imsufferableninja 26 points 1 week ago

it's mostly because the red hats love trans porn, and hate themselves for loving trans porn, and they just need a little help resisting temptation

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Every time that a conservative equates the mere existence of trans people with sex, they're just outing their own kink.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 week ago

don't even for a second think this is in favour of you.

it's some weird christian idea that the human must be "purified" and watching porn stops that. it's about an ideology, not about you or your wellbeing.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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] 43 points 1 week ago (2 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.

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[–] Sprocketfree 25 points 1 week ago (2 children)

So no one wants to talk about how maybe we should just be talking to our kids about sexuality? This is just the absence only crowd again. And of course it's taking the rest of our liberties with it but can we stop framing this has tech was of protecting children here? It's Trojan horse bullshit.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago

It’s the sex doesn’t exist if we don’t talk about it crowd. Just like they don’t like talking about the gays or the trans or CRT. Talking about any of these things means accommodation and mental effort has to be expended. Can’t have that.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago

They're compiling a list and they'll find a way to use it against you. Anyone who thinks the age-verification services won't share their data with the states is naive. Use a VPN and only pay using an anonymous prepaid card, and if that doesn't work, pirate the content.

While privacy-focused age verification methods exist

What might those be, and have they been reviewed by anyone with actual knowledge of security?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago (7 children)

There are thousands of porn sites. Blocking pornhub doesn’t even register. If someone wants to find porn it is no more difficult than it was the day before the ban, it just won’t be pornhub porn.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week 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.

[–] atzanteol 22 points 1 week ago

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

[–] eletes 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

"Another method, used in Germany, lets people show their ID card at a post office and get a unique ID to access adult sites. This could potentially be done without logging the person’s identity, but as CNIL points out such systems require much work to set up."

This exactly what I was thinking of while reading the article. It's just like going to a bar and getting carded. As long as no info is stored, I would be fine with this if were seriously looking for a solution for the kids

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

At the core of the debate is a genuinely thorny technical and legal question: how to verify someone’s age over the internet without exposing them to cyber theft or government surveillance.

Age verification providers are adamant that this is possible.

I agree that it is possible if you can guarantee absolutely zero corruption in the system. Which you cannot.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Mad conservative computer scientists: "Yes, using the fear that kids might see porno, we will soon require the implementation of the impossible device: Anonymous age verification! Since no one will be able to implement it, we will ban all pornography off the internet!"

Mad liberal computer scientists: : "Using generative AI, anyone can now produce any porno they want, even offline! And the interface is so easy that even a kid can use it!"

Porn companies: "We will have the computer take a picture of you and analyze your age to grant access."

Users: Uses generative AI to generate fake pictures to get access to real porn.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago

Wasn't really a pornhub guy, think xvideos does the suggestions better and overall I'm more into pics as far as that goes but pissing off my home state gets brownie points off of me anyway.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Theofascism and control. Growing the power of the state to dictate what is “acceptable“ and what is “unacceptable“.

Just remember this: everything Republicans/fascists do is designed to hurt everyone but themselves in order to squeeze for more power. If you even doubt this for a second, you are complicit. An enabler. A collaborator.

You’re just as guilty as they are.

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