Florida sees VPN demand surge by more than 1000% after Pornhub blocked

Florida has seen a surge in virtual private network (VPN) demand of more than 1,000 percent following the implementation of a Pornhub block in the state.

The world’s largest adult-video content site, is now blocked in 17 US states, including Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina. 

Last year, Louisiana became the first state to require government ID to allow anyone to access Pornhub, after passing Act 440, under which commercial entities that publish “material harmful to minors” could be fined tens of thousands of dollars.

In response, Pornhub has blocked access for users in Louisiana and all states that have subsequently implemented their own similar legislation.

In a bid to bypass the block, porn viewers are turning to VPNs in search of access to the now-censored market.

VPNs allow people to hide their locations, browsing the web incognito. As reported by Forbes, VPNMentor shared that they “detected a surge of 1150 percent in VPN demand [in Florida] in the first few hours” following the law coming into effect on 1 January. They described the surge as “staggering”.

The cybersecurity organisation, which states it’s “dedicated to helping you take back your online freedom, added: “Pornhub’s banning of Utah-based users caused a 967 percent spike in VPN demand… and last year, the passing of adult-site-related age restriction laws in Texas caused a surge in demand of 234% in the state.”

The US cyber defence agency has warned against the use of VPNs, while cybersecurity company, Kaspersky, warned in November of a “surge in potentially malicious apps posing as VPNs”. 

‘Haphazard and dangerous’

A spokesperson for Aylo, which owns Pornhub and several other porn sites, told 404 Media that, while they support age verification features on adult-content sites, several states have taken legislation too far.

“The way many jurisdictions worldwide, including Florida, have chosen to implement age verification is ineffective, haphazard and dangerous. 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.”

The legislation is unlikely to be properly enforced, causing users to simply access “non-compliant sites or find other methods of evading these laws”, the spokesperson added.

At the end of 2024, Pornhub’s review of the year revealed the most sought-after gay porn stars of the year. Topping the list was former stripper Malik Delgaty, closely followed by travel blogger Tyler Wu.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.