Pornhub Pulls Out of Nebraska

Age Verification Requirements vs. Privacy

• Many see Nebraska’s ID-upload requirement as dangerous: creates large databases of sensitive IDs on “sketchy” sites, increasing risk of breaches, tracking, and coercion.
• Others argue it’s analogous to existing age controls for alcohol, cigarettes, or prescription meds and that “if you don’t want to share ID, don’t use porn.”
• Counterpoint: unlike in-person checks, centralized digital logs are much more invasive and can easily become de facto registries of porn consumers.

Quizzes and “Soft” Age Checks

• A nostalgic suggestion: use knowledge quizzes (à la Leisure Suit Larry) instead of IDs.
• Critics say this proves nothing in the era of search engines/AI, where teens or bots could easily pass, and it doesn’t address legal liability.

Technical Proposals for Anonymous Age Proof

• Multiple ideas for privacy-preserving verification:
  • Government-issued cryptographic tokens or key pairs handed out in person after ID check, later used online for yes/no age checks.
  • Government or bank portals that verify ID and return “over 18” tokens without identity details.
  • ID scans plus liveness checks as today’s pragmatic “best we have,” though still privacy-invasive.
• Skeptics warn any such system can be linked back to individuals once the capability exists; others claim designs without persistent logs are possible but enforcement may still require some tracking.

Effectiveness, Workarounds, and Enforcement

• Several argue laws will be easily bypassed via VPNs or offshore sites and mainly hurt compliant platforms like Pornhub.
• Some note that smaller or foreign sites may simply ignore state laws; aggressive enforcement (ISP blocking, blackholing) is compared to actions against CSAM or problematic forums.
• Others warn this logic leads toward wider censorship and authoritarian tools.

Ethics of Pornography

• One side claims porn is heavily abusive, stigma is justified, and consumers should reduce demand.
• Others counter with:
  • Comparisons to abuse in other industries (tech, textiles, mining) that we still consume from.
  • Examples of consensual, amateur or studio work with positive environments.
  • Objection to conflating all porn with worst-case scenarios.

Civil Liberties and “Dystopia” Concerns

• Strong disagreement over whether mandatory age verification is reasonable child protection or a step toward a surveillance dystopia.
• Some argue there is no inherent right to anonymous porn; others insist state involvement in tracking lawful sexual content is a core civil-liberties red line.

Pornhub’s Strategy and Market Context

• Debate over Pornhub’s motives for exiting states:
  • Critics: they “want kids hooked” and avoid responsibility.
  • Defenders: they reasonably refuse to hold massive ID troves, can’t satisfy hostile prosecutors, and will lose to offshore competitors anyway.
• Question raised why many legacy porn sites still operate on simple click-throughs and credit cards; possible explanations include selective enforcement and Pornhub’s visibility.
• Brief notes on Pornhub’s modern business model: creator-focused, memberships, tipping, ads, and studio cross-promotion.

Miscellaneous Ideas and Humor

• Proposals for two separate internets (adults vs minors).
• Jokes about “Cornhub,” withdrawal/pull-out effectiveness, and wordplay on “pulling out” of Nebraska.