Pornhub blocks Missouri users as state enforces new age-verification rule
Haley Swaino
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A new Missouri rule, aimed at protecting children from online pornography, has prompted Pornhub — the pornography industry’s largest platform– to block access statewide rather than comply.
Pornography websites operating in Missouri must now verify that their users are adults before allowing them access to explicit content.
The rule — initiated by former Attorney General Andrew Bailey and continued by AG Catherine Hanaway — went into effect Monday. The attorney general is taking the action under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, which requires commercial porn sites to implement robust age-verification systems for users.
Under the new regulation, any website where a third or more of its content is pornographic must confirm that users are 18 or older. Noncompliant platforms will face penalties, injunctions and enforcement actions for engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.
Hanaway called the rule “one of the most significant online child-protection victories in state history” in a statement.
She said Pornhub’s decision to bar Missourians’ access to its site proves why the rule is needed.
“If a billion-dollar corporation would rather leave Missouri than verify that children are not accessing graphic sexual content, that tells you everything you need to know about its priorities,” Hanaway said in a statement.
Instead of identifying themselves to access such sites, some Missourians seem to be turning to virtual private networks.
A VPN creates an encrypted “tunnel” for internet traffic and masks IP addresses — enhancing online privacy and security. It can make it look like the user is in another state.
The Show-Me State has reportedly seen a major spike in VPN searches.
Google Trends data showed search interest for “VPN” in Missouri surged to its highest point of the year in the days surrounding the rule taking effect.
This suggests that Missourians are looking for ways to maintain anonymity, prevent potential data leaks, or visit sites that have restricted traffic from the state.
Google Trends data shows search interest for “VPN” in Missouri surges in the days surrounding a new age verification rule for pornographic sites taking effect on Nov. 30, 2025.
Pornhub criticized Missouri’s rule as ineffective and a potential risk to user privacy.
“We [Pornhub] 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 Missouri,” Pornhub said in a statement on its website.
The statement urges Missourians to contact state representatives and demand device-based verification solutions while also “respecting your privacy.”
“Pornhub is welcome to leave Missouri,” Hanaway said in a statement Tuesday, acknowledging the platform’s response to the new rule.
Research shows that the average age people are first exposed to pornography is 11 or 12, with many teens encountering violent or degrading content online, the Attorney General’s Office says. Studies suggest pornography can have addictive effects similar to dangerous substances, leaving children particularly vulnerable. It can also “distort young people’s understanding of sex and undermine healthy relationships.”