Pornography sites that wish to operate in Missouri must now verify that users are adults before granting access to explicit content, under a new rule that went into effect Monday.
The change caused the porn industry’s largest website, Pornhub, to block access in Missouri, issuing a statement calling the new rule ineffective and a potential risk to user privacy.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who took over the policy after it was initiated by her predecessor, celebrated the news, calling Pornhub’s decision proof that the rule is needed.
“If a billion-dollar corporation would rather leave Missouri than verify that children are not accessing graphic sexual content,” she said, “that tells you everything you need to know about its priorities.”
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