- VPN demand in Florida surged 1150% on New Year’s Day after Pornhub blocked access due to a new age-verification law.
- The surge highlights resistance to Florida’s Online Protection for Minors Act and concerns over internet censorship and privacy.
What happened: VPN demand soars 1,150% after Pornhub blocks Florida users
On 1 January 2025, Florida witnessed a dramatic surge in VPN demand, with vpnMentor recording a 1150% increase between midnight and 4am. This VPN spike followed Pornhub’s decision to block access to users in the state due to the implementation of Florida’s new age-verification mandate.
The law, part of the Online Protection for Minors Act, requires adult websites to verify the ages of users to prevent minors from accessing explicit content. As a result, Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, chose to block all users from Florida rather than comply with the age-verification requirements.
This action mirrors similar measures taken by Pornhub in other states with comparable laws, including Texas and Utah. The restrictions prompted many Floridians to seek out VPN services, enabling them to bypass the block by masking their IP addresses, making it appear as though they were accessing the site from outside the state.
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Why it’s important
This incident highlights growing concerns over the effectiveness and implications of Florida Age Verification Law. These laws, designed to protect minors from accessing explicit content, have sparked significant debate about privacy, security, and user safety. Pornhub’s decision to block access in Florida rather than comply with the new law underscores the tension between protecting children online and safeguarding user privacy. The platform’s parent company, Aylo, argues that age verification requirements are flawed and can jeopardise user safety by forcing adult sites to collect sensitive personal data. Moreover, Aylo pointed to the unintended consequences of such laws, such as driving users to less secure, unmoderated websites where content is neither regulated nor safe.
The surge in VPN demand further illustrates the lengths users are willing to go to bypass such laws, suggesting that the approach may not be as effective as intended. The debate raises questions about the broader impact of state-level regulations on digital freedom and access to content, with similar laws being considered across the US. The growing reliance on VPNs to circumvent content restrictions could also have implications for online privacy, data protection, and the accessibility of digital services in the future.
