The Hottest Topic at This Year’s Pornhub Awards? Censorship

Lawmakers’ ongoing attempts to ban pornography in the US didn’t stop Pornhub from hosting its annual awards show last week. The looming threat on the industry was not lost on some of the biggest names in the adult film industry at this year’s Pornhub Awards in West Hollywood, California. In fact, it was central to the event’s theme, as Pornhub’s story is at the center of tech and politics today.

The Current Legislative Landscape

Pornhub is currently not available in more than a third of US states due to new age-verification laws. Most of these age verification laws have passed in the South, which means that Pornhub is not available in most of the South. Furthermore, last week, two Republican senators introduced a bill that could ban pornography across the country. Consequently, Pornhub in particular has become a case study of how far anti-porn legislation could go.

Impact of Regional and Federal Legislation:

• State Restrictions: Pornhub is currently not available in more than a third of US states.
• Regional Impact: Most age verification laws have passed in the South.
• National Threat: A bill aiming to ban all porn in the United States was reintroduced by two Republican senators.

Behind the Scenes of the Seventh Annual Pornhub Awards

The awards themselves were very informal. There was a red carpet featuring all of the porn stars on wanted posters. It was 90 percent just partying vibes and then very, very quickly doing award stuff.

Before the gala, performers were at the Sunset Marquis Hotel after they got ready in their cowboy outfits, which were just so over the top. They all got dressed, and then they let loose on the hotel and just were taking very sort of family-photo style, but maybe the creepiest family photos you've ever seen, just sort of all over the hotel grounds. One of them was literally wearing a belt as her bottom. Your Favorite Porn Stars Are Sick of Being Censored. But They’re Not Going Away.

Tech and Politics at the Forefront

Adult performers are dealing with the threat of censorship in an unexpected place that can actually tell us a lot about the relationship between tech and politics today. The industry is navigating how adult performers are dealing with the threat of censorship and how Pornhub in particular has become a case study of legal limits.