If you live in Texas and enjoy certain adult websites, you may want to invest in a VPN. Because unless something changes, sites like P*rnhub and Redtube will not allow access from Texas IPs.

Why The Ban?

Because these sites feel that new Texas legislation violates First Amendment Rights. Texas's so-called age verification laws are intended to keep minors from accessing adult content, but can they actually work?

The responsibility lies with the website, requiring it to, "confirm visitors are over 18 with an online system that verifies users’ government-issued identification or another commercially available system that uses public or private data."

So What's The Problem?

P*rnhub elaborates in a long message to Texas users attempting to access the site that the law is, "ineffectual, haphazard, and dangerous." And that it will drive users to far less safe and less reputable sites for that content.

If the requirement to show your driver's license to see adult content sounds alarming, or perhaps like a huge invasion of your privacy, you're not alone. And what if there were a data breach and the public knew exactly what freaky thing you've been viewing?

What's The Alternative?

Besides acquiring the aforementioned VPN, it appears that the only solution is to contact your Texas representative and encourage them to enact laws that require "Device-Based Age Verification" which puts the burden of proving age on the phone/computer, etc.  At least that's what P*rnhub proposes.

I'll not deny that addiction to this type of content is epidemic, and children accessing it is harmful. Overindulgence in adult content has been shown to cause mental health problems and even ED. And some of the content is potentially disturbing or even dangerous.

However, the invasion of a person's privacy and the limitation of free speech violates two separate Constitutional Amendments, so it puzzles me that things even got this far.