Question

17 US states are now banning porn. Thanks, Big Conservative Government!

Comments

This factcheck is misleading, Since the beginning of the the new year there has been a porn age restricted added to the sites to prevent underage children on going on the site. These state are Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia all passed legislation requiring age verification to access porn.
There was also only certain sites that were blocked one main one that was congruent in all states was pornhub.

https://www.the-sun.com/news/13210373/map-reveals-third-of-us-has-porn-bans/#:~:text=PORN%20CRACKDOWN&text=Alabama%2C%20Arkansas%2C%20Indiana%2C%20Idaho,age%20verification%20to%20access%20porn.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14244879/pornhub-banned-states-list.html

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This statement misinterprets the actions taken. There have been restrictions added to popular pornography sites such as Pornhub to ensure that users are over 18; a digital wall requiring age verification protects underage viewers. Many of the (now 19) states on the list already enacted an age verification law during 2024, and even as early as January of 2023 in some cases. None of the claims here are entirely accurate: it is not 17 states, pornography is not banned in them, and these actions were ongoing even when a Democratic candidate was president. https://avpassociation.com/4271-2/

Answer 1

This is a misleading claim. 19 states have passed laws mandating porn websites to verify user ages, with Tennessee being the only state to block it taking effect. This started in January 2023 with Louisiana so it's not happening just "now" as the claim states. While a byproduct of these laws is that large porn sites like Pornhub have decided to stop user access in these states, it is not a direct ban on porn as the claim states.

This is corroborated by 3 separate news organizations: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pornhub-blocked-us-states-age-verification-b2679211.html, https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/politics/invs-porn-age-verification-laws-supreme-court/index.html, and https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-01-15/supreme-court-weighs-first-amendment-rights-and-porn-in-texas-case. 

CNN finds that: "Over the last two and a half years, 19 states – home to more than a third of Americans – have passed laws that require pornography websites to confirm a user’s age by checking a government-issued ID or scanning their face, among other methods."

The Independent finds that: "all those states have passed laws requiring porn websites to verify that their users are over-18, such as by checking their driver’s licenses, or else be vulnerable to civil lawsuits."

KeraNews finds that: "A slew of other state have adopted laws mandating age-verification for porn sites, after Louisiana became the first state to pass such a law in January 2023."

Comments

This is a great fact check- I really appreciated how you provided quotes from reputable news sources to corroborate your claims. This fact check helps me understand that this alleged 'ban' is instead a byproduct of laws that have been created over the course of a long period of time instead of a sudden, total ban like the claim seems to suggest.

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Excellent Fact check, thank you for putting in quotes from the sources and including the important dates. Claims and checks like this are important to see because it shows the importance to know the difference between all-out bans on things, and just stricter regulations/rules

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You’ve provided helpful context, but adding clarity could strengthen the explanation. While it’s accurate that these laws don’t directly ban porn, it might help to emphasize how age verification requirements have led platforms like Pornhub to restrict access. This has caused some to perceive it as a "ban" in practice, even if not legally.

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What a textbook level of fact-checking! Linking to other sources, as well as leaving direct quotes was masterfully done. The only improvement that would help your answer would be to properly cite and order your sources, as well as fitting in the quotes to your post.

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I really like your fact-check! I appreciate the use of quotes and helpful sources. you expanded your points and backed you claim. Overall, I find your comment very strong.

Answer 2

The claim that 17 US states are now banning porn is a misleading statement. Over the last 2 1/2 years several states have been pushing new laws that require users to verify their age using a real Government-issued ID. This has caused people to log in to their accounts to find they've been blocked, not banned, but they can no longer access their accounts depending on which state they are in. Even though they aren't able to access their preferred website, porn as a whole wasn't banned however, certain websites will no longer be accessible to people in specific states.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/politics/invs-porn-age-verification-laws-supreme-court/index.html

Comments

For this fact check, I think it is important to go one step further than a CNN article. Organizations such as CNN can be biased, and not as reputable as other sources. I would suggest finding where CNN is getting these claims from, and then seeing if those sources are reputable!

Answer 3

While it is true that many states are implementing new laws and policies that restrict access to some pornography websites, the claim that 17 states are "now" banning the entirety of pornographic material is very misleading. The laws implemented are in an effort to provide more age verification methods in order to keep minors off of inappropriate websites, not to completely block access to anyone's viewing. According to CNN, these laws have also been in place for the last 2 and a half years, so to claim that this is a new modern development is simply false.

What this user may be referring to, however, is how many adult websites are blocking their sites in the states with these laws to avoid paying for ID-checking services. This decision may have led to the original poster's claim that states are "banning" porn, when in reality, many of the porn sites are banning it themselves.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/politics/invs-porn-age-verification-laws-supreme-court/index.html

Comments

I appreciate how you included a possible explanation about why this claim may seem true to people who are no longer able to access sites they previously could. I would suggest finding a second source to strengthen your fact check or include a source that talks more extensively about the actions adult websites are taking in response to new policies to validate the idea that lack of access to these sites may not be due to a ban, but a change in policy that is causing adult websites to block their own sites in certain states.

Answer 4

Although there are, in fact, more restrictions on pornography, the Government is by no means banning it. Nineteen states have passed new laws that require pornography websites to confirm a user’s age by checking a government-issued ID or scanning their face. This is the Government's way of keeping internet users under 18 safe on the internet. Overall, while there are more restrictions of pornography, it is not being banned.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/politics/invs-porn-age-verification-laws-supreme-court/index.html

Answer 5

Yes, there are more restrictions on pornography, but it isn't banned by the government. "19 states – home to more than a third of Americans – have passed laws that require pornography websites to confirm a user’s age by checking a government-issued ID or scanning their face, among other methods."  This is to prevent children from seeking the content. There are just restrictions. 

Comments

Though I agree with your rationale, clarifying the state laws would help distinguish between a ban and a regulation. I'd also recommend that the next time you reference a source, provide the link clearly. You included a source, but presenting it as a title in black lettering is a little confusing to the eyes.

Answer 6

This claim is entirely exaggerated. There is no "ban" on any pornography websites in the US. First off, it is 19 states not 17. These states are Louisiana, Utah, Mississippi, Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Montana, North Carolina, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Indiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. In most of these states, pornographic websites require state ID verification to ensure one's age before proceeding onto the contents of the site. Only three states have a strict block on porn sites because the sites would rather just block it rather than pay millions for ID verification. The claim is incorrect because it is broader than that.

Sources:

https://avpassociation.com/4271-2/

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/politics/invs-porn-age-verification-laws-supreme-court/index.html#:~:text=By%20Isabelle%20Chapman%2C%20Casey%20Tolan,millions%20for%20ID%2Dchecking%20services.

Answer 7

There is no actual ban on pornography in its whole. In 19 states (not 17), pornography websites require an age check with government issued ID or a face scan. Some porn sites like PornHub have blocked users from specific states rather than paying for age verification services, but there are still many other sites used in these states. Websites with over 1/3rd of their content being sexually explicit require an age check. Some states like Alabama and Kansas have pop ups stating the damage porn can do to a developing brain and its consequences.

PornHub specifically has been blocked in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. In the states where it has been restricted with age verification traffic has decreased significantly as users have migrated to darker corners of the internet for porn. According to insight from authors of project 2025, this is just the beginning of a greater ban on porn.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/politics/invs-porn-age-verification-laws-supreme-court/index.html#:~:text=By%20Isabelle%20Chapman%2C%20Casey%20Tolan,millions%20for%20ID%2Dchecking%20services

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/states-pornhub-blocked-january-1-174441938.html

Answer 8

This claim is misleading and not true, while there was action taken against porn is the US there was no complete ban in 17 states. In a article from newsweek its stated "A total of 16 states have now approved legislation requiring pornographic websites to ask their users to prove that they are over 18 years old." as of may 30th, 2024. The states involved are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Virginia. While there was no complete ban of porn in the states there was further restrictions made to make sure people are of age. Although to the claims credit as of New Years Day, 2025 "Pornhub is now blocked in 17 U.S. states." according to Mashables article. In conclusion the claim was false and or extremley exagerated as ther was no porn ban in any states, just some restrictions and the blocking of the website pornhub.

https://mashable.com/article/pornhub-blocked-states-2025

https://www.newsweek.com/states-porn-age-verification-free-speech-1903108