The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state of Ohio will begin enforcing age verification regulations for adult entertainment content on September 30. In response, popular content platforms among adult content creators are either implementing age verification or withdrawing entirely from the state’s digital space in an effort to comply with the new law.
The parent company of Pornhub, Aylo, confirmed to The War on Porn that it will expand its geo-blocking protocol to cover Ohio as a protest against the state’s law, specifically targeting adult entertainment content.
A spokesperson for Aylo explained that Ohio is now the latest state with restricted access to its network of platforms, which also includes premium membership websites.
“Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information are putting user safety in jeopardy,” the spokesperson said. “Moreover, as experience has demonstrated, unless properly enforced, users will simply access non-compliant sites or find other methods of evading these laws.
“The best solution to make the internet safer, preserve user privacy, and prevent children from accessing adult content is performing age verification at the source: on the device. The technology to accomplish this exists today.”
Meanwhile, Bluesky has begun implementing age verification measures on its platform for all users based in Ohio, according to TechCrunch.
“In Ohio, starting on Monday, 9/29, we’ll be implementing an age assurance solution similar to what we’re doing in South Dakota and Wyoming,” Bluesky posted.
“We recognize that promoting safety for young people is a shared responsibility, and we support the idea of collective action to protect children from online risks,” the company added. “We also recognize that governments may have strong, often conflicting, views on these issues and how to weigh competing priorities.”
The age verification mandate was attached to the appropriations bill, House Bill (HB) 96, signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 2, 2025.
DeWine stated, “This budget builds upon my commitment to make Ohio the best place for everyone to live their version of the American Dream. … It prioritizes our children, empowers our workforce, and strengthens our communities.”
The War on Porn reported on HB 96 earlier this year, when amendments allowed the addition of a rider bill for age verification.
The bill’s language requires “reasonable age verification methods” that rely on government-issued identification cards, transactional data, and other means.
The provisions were tucked into the 3,156-page omnibus spending bill funding Ohio’s government for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Companies in the adult entertainment industry, through the vendors they must contract, will be required to verify the same users every two years thereafter.
