LOS ANGELES—Cherie DeVille is leading the charge for Pornhub’s online withdrawal from Utah with an advisory video protesting the state’s online age verification law that went into effect on May 3.
Utah residents attempting to access Pornhub.com will instead find DeVille, a member of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, informing would-be viewers as to why they can no longer visit the site, as the SB 287: Online Pornography Viewing Age Requirements law now requires individuals to confirm their age in order to gain admittance to any website featuring adult content.
DeVille explains in the 90-second video, "As you may know, your elected officials in Utah are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website. While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk. In addition, mandating age verification without proper enforcement gives platforms the opportunity to choose whether or not to comply. As we've seen in other states, this just drives traffic to sites with far fewer safety measures in place. Very few sites are able to compare to the robust trust and safety measures we currently have in place. To protect children and user privacy, any legislation must be enforced against all platforms offering adult content. The safety of our users is one of our biggest concerns. We believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials and websites based on that identification. Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Utah. Please contact your representatives before it is too late and demand device-based verification solutions that make the internet safer while also respecting your privacy."
DeVille hopes that Pornhub’s bold stance against Utah’s law by blocking the state's users will raise awareness of the potential risks posed by these laws, and encourage lawmakers to seek out more effective solutions that protect children without compromising the privacy and security of adults.
Vice/Motherboard breaks down the specifics in author Samantha Cole’s article, "Pornhub Blocks All of Utah From Its Site" at Vice.com.
DeVille is a Brazzers exclusive contract star and is represented by OC Modeling.
