Searches for "VPN" (virtual private proxy) surged in Florida on January 1 after a number of leading pornographic websites blocked access to the Sunshine State in response to a new law requiring age verification.
Newsweek contacted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for comment via email on Thursday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Florida is just the latest in a series of states to implement a law requiring proof that users are 18 years old to access pornographic websites. Similar laws also took effect on Wednesday in Tennessee and South Carolina, meaning they now apply to 17 mostly southern states overall according to 404media.
Under the terms of the legislation, House Bill 3, websites hosting pornographic content can be fined up to $50,000 for each violation, along with attorney fees and the potential for civil liability, if they fail to enforce the age verification requirement.
Supporters argue the wave of legislation is needed to safeguard children, whilst critics have raised concerns around data security and the First Amendment. In response, a number of leading pornographic websites, including industry giant Pornhub, have blocked access to their content from the impacted states.
What To Know
Google trends data published on January 2 showed a sharp rise in "vpn" searches beginning on December 31 2024 and continuing into the new year. VPNs allow computer users to disguise their locations and thus get around location-specific website blocks.
While it doesn't give individual search figures, Google gave the value of 100 to vpn inquiries on January 2, compared to the level of 91 on January 1, 55 on December 31 and 37 on December 30.
Searches for individual VPN providers as well as "Internet pornography" and "computer virus" were also categorized as "breakout" for Florida over the period by Google.
Those attempting to access Pornhub from Florida are instead presented with a video by adult entertainment star Cherie DeVille, who says: "As you may know, your elected officials in Florida are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website.
"While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk."
In a statement provided to Newsweek, Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, said: "Aylo has publicly supported age verification of users for years, but we believe that any law to this effect must preserve user safety and privacy, and must effectively protect children from accessing content intended for adults."
"Unfortunately, the way many jurisdictions worldwide, including Florida, have chosen to implement age verification is ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous," Aylo continued. "Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information is putting user safety in jeopardy.
"Moreover, as experience has demonstrated, unless properly enforced, users will simply access non-compliant sites or find other methods of evading these laws," the company added.
What People Are Saying
In an article for the Palm Beach Post, writer Frank Cerabino suggested an alternative, commenting: "Instead of demanding documents from secrecy-prone viewers — people who have their reputations to protect as kindergarten teachers, members of the clergy and elected officials — you can simply ask visitors to the online site a bunch of screening questions that would accurately reveal their age in a less invasive way."
What Happens Next
Georgia is due to become the 18th state to require age verification to access pornographic websites in July, with child safety campaigners hoping others follow suit. However pornography providers are continuing to argue these moves endangers viewers personal information and could lead some people to access more extreme content.
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