No more RedTube and Tube8 in Alabama
Users of adult content sites have been notified about an impending loss of access as a new age verification law is enforced.
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Users of adult content sites have been notified about an impending loss of access as a new age verification law is enforced.
Users of RedTube and Tube8 in Alabama are currently seeing a note that there are “0 days left” to enjoy adult content. Pornhub users are also about to lose access to adult sites.
“As crazy as that sounds, it’s true. You’ll be required to prove you are 18 years or older by uploading your government ID for every adult content website you’d like to access,” say warnings on the websites. Starting October 1st, 2024, Alabama is reinforcing a new law requiring users to provide age verification through government-issued IDs to access adult websites.
The Alabama legislation follows similar laws already enacted in Texas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, and other US states. The porn company has decided to disable its adult sites in states where new legislation is taking power, rather than adhere to the new requirements.
RedTube and Tube8, along with Pornhub and Brazzers, are operated by Aylo – a Canadian multinational pornographic conglomerate owned by Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners.
Privacy at risk
Age verification by the new law requires users to prove that they’re 18 or older to access adult content. While there are several ways to confirm age, any reliable method involves submitting some form of personally identifiable information (PII), such as a driver's license.
According to the company, this creates the risk of identity theft. Since age verification software collects highly sensitive data, it increases the potential for data breaches. Regardless of good intentions, governments have historically faced challenges in protecting this type of information.
“We firmly believe age verification can make the internet a safer space for everyone when it is done right. Unfortunately, the way these new laws are executed by lawmakers is ineffective and puts users' privacy at risk,” Pornhub wrote on its website.
The effect the ban might have is questionable, as VPN users can try bypassing it by setting their location to another state.
