Indiana's Age-Verification Lawsuit Against Adult Platforms and the Impact of Pornography
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is suing dozens of porn websites, claiming that they are in violation of the state's age-verification law and seeking "injunctive relief, civil penalties, and recovery of costs incurred to investigate and maintain the action." Last year, Indiana Senate Bill 17 mandated that websites featuring "material harmful to minors" must verify that visitors are age 18 or above. Rather than start checking IDs, Aylo—the parent company of Pornhub and an array of other adult websites—responded by blocking access for Indiana residents. Now, Indiana says this is not good enough.
The Mandate to Block VPNs
To successfully comply, Pornhub and other Aylo platforms (which include Brazzers, Youporn, and Redtube, among others) must also block virtual private networks and other tools that allow internet users to mask their IP addresses, the state suggests. The state argues that because some Indiana residents could use tools to get around location-based blocks, location-based blocks "are insufficient to comply with Indiana's Age Verification Law." In a section of the suit detailing how Aylo allegedly violated the age-check law, Indiana notes that an investigator employed by the Office of the Indiana Attorney General accessed Pornhub.com from Indiana using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with a Chicago, Illinois IP address.
"Defendants have not implemented any reasonable form of age verification on its website Pornhub.com," the suit states. It goes on to detail how Indiana investigators also accessed Brazzers.com, Faketaxi.com, Spicevids.com, and other adult websites using a VPN. The logical conclusion from this is that if a porn platform doesn't want to check IDs or to stop existing, it must then stop anyone from using a VPN.
Privacy Concerns and Broader Implications
This is the sort of logic that won't stop with porn platforms, of course. Indiana's logic could be used to justify sanctioning all sorts of apps and services for failing to block VPNs and other anonymity-aiding tools. Increasingly, states are trying to require social media platforms, app stores, and other web services to verify users' ages. This situation is especially bad for people in countries or situations where free speech online could be dangerous or where repressive governments have blocked access to outside information.
Furthermore, people aren't always using VPNs to hide their location. VPNs are also used by people whose employers require them in order to access work email and websites, college students and faculty who may need them to access school websites, and others. The Rokita lawsuit accuses Aylo and its affiliate companies of violating not just the Indiana age-verification law but also its Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, claiming that defendants' misrepresentations regarding the extent to which Indiana residents could continue to access adult oriented websites were unfair, abusive, and deceptive.
Health and Social Risks of Pornography Consumption
As porn becomes more widespread and ubiquitous, it’s easy to overlook or become desensitized to its risks. Pornography's influence is actually much larger and more consequential, from its detrimental effects on our physical, mental, and emotional health, to pornography addiction, and its damaging impact on personal relationships and cultural norms. Multiple peer-reviewed studies link porn consumption to the following mental health outcomes:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loneliness
- Stress
- Lower life satisfaction
- Poorer self-esteem
- Poorer social functioning
- Poorer mental health
Research also links higher porn consumption with increasing cases of erectile dysfunction among men. For instance, data indicates specific risks for different age groups based on consumption levels:
| Demographic | Consumption Level | Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction |
|---|---|---|
| Men below 35 | 300 minutes per week | 30% |
| Men ages 35-45 | Frequent consumption | 40% |
As porn exposure becomes a regular part of life, it can develop into compulsive behavior and a serious addiction that can be difficult to stop. Over time, those addicted can become so numb to porn that they may choose to act out sexually in the real world in dangerous ways that harm themselves and others. Furthermore, porn depicts people as bodies used primarily for sexual gratification, promoting sexual objectification. Those objectified can struggle with body shame and anxiety, leading to depression, eating disorders, and trauma.