Daily News
The Battle Between Pornhub and State Lawmakers: A Deep Dive into Age Restrictions on Adult Sites
Montana and North Carolina lawmakers enforce age restrictions on Pornhub, leading to a complete ban in these states.
Last Updated on May 25, 2024 by Daily News Staff
In a recent turn of events, Montana and North Carolina lawmakers have successfully pushed for new laws that restrict access to adult content on popular sites like Pornhub. As of January 1st, users in these states are no longer able to access the site, as the platform refused to comply with the new age verification requirements.
The move comes as a response to growing concerns about minors accessing explicit content online. Legislators argue that pornography has a detrimental impact on minors and constitutes a public health crisis. To address these concerns, laws like Montana’s SB 544 and North Carolina’s HB 8 now mandate age verification for individuals attempting to access adult sites.
Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, has taken a bold stance by completely disabling access to its adult platforms in these states, citing concerns about user privacy and the effectiveness of age verification processes. This decision highlights the ongoing tension between online platforms, lawmakers, and the need to protect vulnerable populations from harmful content.
While these laws aim to shield minors from explicit material, they have also sparked discussions about censorship, privacy, and the role of technology in regulating online content. Users in affected states are now exploring alternative methods, such as VPNs, to bypass these restrictions and access the content they desire.
As the debate around age restrictions on adult sites continues to unfold, it raises important questions about the balance between protecting minors and preserving freedom of expression online. It remains to be seen how other states and online platforms will respond to these evolving regulations and what impact they will have on the future of internet governance.
The clash between Pornhub and state lawmakers serves as a microcosm of the broader challenges facing tech policy in the digital age. As technology continues to shape our online experiences, finding a harmonious solution that safeguards users while upholding individual rights remains a complex and ongoing endeavor.
In reading the article on Gizmodo titled “Pornhub Banned in Montana and North Carolina,” it is evident that the recent legislative changes in these states represent a significant shift in the regulation of adult content online. The article delves into the intricacies of the new laws and highlights the implications for both users and platforms like Pornhub. Gizmodo provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, in balancing user privacy with compliance to age verification mandates. This coverage places the debate within a broader context of digital rights, privacy concerns, and the varying approaches to internet governance.
Montana and North Carolina lawmakers have taken a strict stance on enforcing age restrictions on Pornhub, resulting in a complete ban of the platform in these states. This move raises important questions about the impact such laws have on individuals’ right to privacy. It is crucial to consider the implications of these measures, as they may set a precedent for further restrictions on online content. To delve deeper into this topic and explore related resources, please visit the links below.
https://gizmodo.com/pornhub-banned-in-montana-north-carolina-1851134590
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornhub#Blocks_and_bans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornhub
What is Pornhub?
Pornhub is a Canadian website for sharing adult videos. It is owned by Aylo, a big company in adult entertainment. As of February 2024, Pornhub is the 13th-most-visited website in the world and the second-most-visited adult website, after XVideos.
The site allows visitors to view and share pornographic videos from various categories, like professional and amateur pornography. Users can flag content that breaks the site’s rules. The site also hosts an annual awards show.
In December 2020, after a New York Times report about non-consensual pornography and sex trafficking, Mastercard and Visa stopped their services to Pornhub. As a result, Pornhub removed all videos from unverified users, reducing the total content from 13 million to 4 million videos. A 2023 documentary, Money Shot: The Pornhub Story, discusses the criticism of Pornhub and the perspectives of some pornographic performers.
Blocking and Banning?
Authorities and organizations worldwide have put in place different measures to limit access to and use of Pornhub.
- In 2011, European broadband provider TalkTalk faced criticism because its internet filter didn’t block Pornhub for over a week due to child internet safety issues.[4]
- In January 2013, CBS refused to air a non-explicit Pornhub commercial during the Super Bowl due to legal concerns.
- In September 2013, Pornhub was blocked in China by the Great Firewall.
- On March 12, 2014, Russia blocked Pornhub because an actress looked too young, which led some viewers to think she was a minor.
- In September 2016, Russia blocked the site again for “spreading harmful information to children,” but it was reinstated in April 2017 with age verification measures.
- In January 2017, the Government of the Philippines blocked Pornhub and other sites due to the Anti-Child Pornography Law.
- In October 2018, India’s Uttarakhand High Court reinstated a ban on Pornhub but allowed exceptions for sites free of child pornography.
- In November 2020, Thailand blocked Pornhub and other similar sites.
- On September 3, 2022, Instagram banned Pornhub’s account indefinitely after lobbying by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation
- On December 16, 2022, Pornhub’s YouTube account was taken down shortly after being removed from TikTok.
- In May 2023, Utah passed a law requiring age verification for adult sites, leading Pornhub to block access for Utah users and display a message criticizing the laws.
- In February 2024, Texas sued Pornhub for allegedly not following the state’s age verification law. As of March 2024, Pornhub and other Aylo-owned sites blocked access in Texas, displaying a message criticizing the laws.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornhub
Last Updated on November 13, 2026 by Daily News Staff
STM Daily News | November 12, 2026
Graffiti Cleanup Transforms Oceanwide Plaza
LOS ANGELES — The unfinished skyscrapers known as downtown Los Angeles’ “Graffiti Towers” have reached a visible milestone: most of the exterior tagging has been removed, although completing the long-stalled Oceanwide Plaza development remains a separate challenge.
City officials celebrated the cleanup November 12. According to the mayor’s office, crews cleared graffiti from roughly 250 balconies across the three-tower complex opposite Crypto.com Arena and near the Los Angeles Convention Center. Remaining work has included touch-ups on windows and other exterior areas.
Oceanwide Plaza was envisioned as a mixed-use destination with residences, a luxury hotel, shops and restaurants. Construction stopped in 2019 after Beijing-based developer Oceanwide Holdings could no longer finance the project.
In early 2024, trespassers covered the unfinished towers with graffiti, turning them into an internationally recognized sight. The property also attracted dangerous stunts and heightened concerns about security.
The development entered bankruptcy in February 2024. This July, a bankruptcy court approved a purchase arrangement involving KPC Square, a joint venture between KPC Group and Lendlease. Graffiti removal began while the acquisition was still pending.
What Comes Next for LA’s Graffiti Towers?
The partnership is targeting a January 2027 closing, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. Financing, a construction contract and required approvals remain important steps before the development can be completed.
For downtown residents and businesses, the cleanup marks tangible progress at a prominent property. However, it does not mean the towers are ready to open, and no firm opening date has been announced.
Sources
- Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, November 12, 2026: https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-celebrates-graffiti-removal-oceanwide-plaza-clearing-way-full-restoration-and
- Los Angeles Business Journal, November 9, 2026: https://labusinessjournal.com/real-estate/cleaning-up-oceanwide/
- City News Service / MyNewsLA, November 12, 2026: https://mynewsla.com/life/2026/11/12/graffiti-cleanup-milestone-marked-at-oceanwide-plaza-in-downtown-la/
Forgotten Genius Fridays
David Crosthwait: The Engineer Behind Indoor Comfort
David Crosthwait helped solve the challenges of heating large buildings, including Radio City Music Hall. Explore his inventions and lasting engineering legacy.
Forgotten Genius | STM Daily News
When audiences enter New York’s Radio City Music Hall, they notice the stage, the lights, and the sweeping auditorium. The engineering that keeps the building comfortable rarely receives applause.
One of the people behind that comfort was David Nelson Crosthwait Jr., a Black engineer and inventor whose work helped advance heating, ventilation, and temperature control in large buildings.
His career offers a reminder that some of the most useful inventions work quietly around us.
Solving the Problem of Heating Large Buildings
Heating a large building takes more than producing enough heat. Different areas can have different needs: one side may face bitter wind while another receives warming sunlight. Delivering the right amount of heat throughout the building requires careful control.
Crosthwait devoted much of his career to those challenges. A Purdue University engineering graduate, he worked for the C.A. Dunham Company, developing equipment and systems for heating and ventilation.
His inventions included improvements to boilers, thermostat controls, and vacuum pumps. These components helped engineers manage the movement and regulation of heat in larger buildings.
One example appears in U.S. Patent No. 1,727,965, granted in 1929. The patent describes a vacuum steam-heating system designed to serve different sections of a building at different steam pressures. That allowed the system to address varying heating needs while using a shared steam source.
Behind the technical drawing was a practical question: How could one building provide comfortable conditions in spaces that needed different amounts of heat?
His Connection to Radio City Music Hall
Crosthwait’s best-known projects included designing the steam-heating system for Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center.
It was a fitting assignment for an engineer whose expertise centered on the demands of large buildings. While performers entertained audiences, the systems behind the scenes helped make the experience comfortable.
His contributions extended across a substantial body of work. The National Inventors Hall of Fame credits him with 39 U.S. patents and 80 international patents, spanning heating, refrigeration, controls, and other technologies.
Sharing Knowledge and Breaking Barriers
Crosthwait also helped other engineers learn. He wrote technical material, contributed to engineering guides, and later taught steam-heating theory and control systems at Purdue.
In 1971, he became the first Black Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Purdue awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1975, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame inducted him in 2014.
His legacy rests in the practical details of engineering: controlling pressure, improving equipment, and making complicated systems work together.
The next time you settle into a comfortable auditorium on a cold evening, consider the ingenuity behind that warmth. David Crosthwait helped make indoor comfort an engineering achievement worth remembering.
Discover more inventors and innovators through the Forgotten Genius series in The Knowledge at STM Daily News.
Related Links
- National Inventors Hall of Fame: David Crosthwait — Biography covering his inventions, patent totals, Radio City Music Hall work, teaching, and professional honors.
- Rockefeller Center: A Rock Center Innovator — Highlights his role in designing Radio City Music Hall’s steam-heating system.
- Original 1929 Patent: U.S. Patent No. 1,727,965 — Technical drawings and Crosthwait’s description of a steam-heating system serving different building sections at different pressures.
- Purdue University Libraries: Historical Timeline — Documents his 1913 graduation and contributions to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
Sources: National Inventors Hall of Fame, Rockefeller Center, Purdue University Libraries, and U.S. Patent No. 1,727,965.
Family
The House That Hosts: When Your Home Becomes Your Holiday Entertaining Partner
The House That Hosts: There’s a special pleasure in opening your home for the holidays to share the menu you’ve imagined, welcome guests to the glow of a room ready for company and enjoy the anticipation of familiar faces at the door. This year, make sure the house itself can lend a hand.
The House That Hosts: When Your Home Becomes Your Holiday Entertaining Partner
(Feature Impact) There’s a special pleasure in opening your home for the holidays to share the menu you’ve imagined, welcome guests to the glow of a room ready for company and enjoy the anticipation of familiar faces at the door. Every detail is an opportunity to make the loved ones you’ve invited feel especially welcome.
This year, make sure the house itself can lend a hand.
From the kitchen to the living room to the guest bathroom, residential technology offers new ways to turn a host’s imagination into a memorable experience. The best innovations don’t take over the occasion. They help the person bringing everyone together make it extraordinary.
Nor does a home need an elaborate network of connected gadgets. A few well-chosen technologies can make a difference. Explore these ideas from the bathroom design and technology experts at TOTO to level up the different hosting areas of your home as you prepare to gather with family and friends this holiday season.
The Kitchen: Bringing Something Extraordinary to the Table
The holidays invite a little culinary ambition, and today’s kitchens are borrowing a few tricks from professional chefs.
Imagine presenting a beef tenderloin cooked to a perfect rosy pink from edge to edge, thanks to the precision of sous vide cooking. Or bringing a platter of roasted root vegetables to the table, their edges beautifully caramelized and their centers tender, prepared in a steam-convection oven. On an induction cooktop, precise, responsive heat helps turn fresh mushrooms into a golden, savory accompaniment.
These technologies put sophisticated techniques within reach of adventurous home cooks, opening the door to new preparations and dishes worthy of special occasions. Experiment with new flavors and rich cuisines that fill your home with enticing aromas and your guests with awe at the first bite.
Nothing says “happy holidays” quite like watching guests discover what you’ve created for them.
The Living Area: Setting the Stage for Connection
Holiday gatherings have a rhythm all their own. The first arrivals are greeted with excitement, conversations pick up where they left off months (or years) prior, and before long, the room is filled with laughter and the pleasure of being together.
Today’s smart lighting systems allow hosts to create and schedule scenes that shift from the sparkle of a festive welcome to the softer, golden glow of an intimate evening. Multiroom wireless audio systems can bring lively music into the kitchen while keeping it a gentle accompaniment to conversation in the living area. Digital art displays can turn a television screen into a gallery of artwork chosen to complement the celebration, bringing holidays past to life as loved ones mingle in the present.
Successful holiday entertainment engages people not merely as observers, but participants. A short film could start an inspiring conversation, the right music might get people dancing and atmospheric visual-audio experiences, like a crackling fireplace or soft snowstorm, can create a relaxing seasonal backdrop for shared activities.
With the atmosphere changing quietly in the background, no one needs to interrupt a favorite story to adjust the lights or lower the music. The host can simply enjoy the company they’ve brought together.
The Bathroom: The Art of Personal Comfort
The most gracious hosts think beyond the rooms where guests gather. Fresh towels, fragrant soaps and a few unexpected comforts can make the guest bathroom feel every bit as welcoming as the rest of the home.
Technology adds a new dimension to that hospitality. Consider a TOTO WASHLET bidet seat, which offers the welcome warmth of a heated seat, the refreshing pleasure of warm-water cleansing and the soothing comfort of warm-air drying. It’s an unexpected luxury that makes an everyday experience feel special.
Hosts can choose an option that complements their home’s character. The S2 offers inviting simplicity with convenient side-panel controls. The sleek S5 pairs contemporary elegance with a wireless remote. Meanwhile, the S7A adds a touch of theater with a lid that opens automatically, a softly glowing nightlight and personalized cleansing settings.
Even the housekeeping benefits from a little ingenuity through automatic PREMIST and EWATER+: One mists the toilet bowl before use to help keep it cleaner, while the other cleans the cleansing wand and, on select models, the bowl itself with electrolyzed water.
It’s another way a thoughtful host can anticipate guests’ needs and make them feel wonderfully welcome.
Long after the last guest has departed, what lingers isn’t the sophistication of the house. It’s the meal that inspired compliments, the conversations no one wanted to end and the little surprises that made everyone feel at home.
Those are the moments that make holiday entertaining special. Behind each one is a host whose warmth, creativity and attention to detail made it possible, with a little help from the house. Explore more sophisticated bathroom upgrade ideas for the holidays and beyond at TOTOUSA.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (holiday table)
SOURCE:
TOTO
