Porn sites still accessible in Virginia despite age verification law
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Many porn sites are still unrestricted years after Virginia passed a law limiting access to them.
Why it matters: Virginia was among the first states to require age verification for adult sites, but an Axios review found progress has been slow.
By the numbers: Of the top 57 active "porn tube" sites listed on toppornsites.com, as of Tuesday:
- Only four asked Virginians for age verification with a government-issued ID, as the 2023 law mandates.
- 16 were blocked entirely, and 3 just required a click of a button to access.
- The rest (nearly 65%) were wide open.
Flashback: When the Virginia Mercury did the same review a month after the law went into effect in 2023, far more sites were available without restrictions.
The big picture: It could signal the uphill battle for other states — like Georgia, South Dakota and Wyoming — after similar legislation went into effect last week.
- The Supreme Court ruled last month that a Texas law mandating age verification on adult sites doesn't violate the First Amendment.
- Major adult sites like PornHub and Youporn are choosing to block access in age-verification states instead of complying, saying the law "will put children and your privacy at risk."
- That's led to people seeking workarounds like virtual private networks (VPNs).
The intrigue: Virginia still leads the nation in Google searches for VPNs, years after PornHub blocked access in the state.
- But VPNs can be used in general to maintain digital privacy, not just sidestep porn restrictions.
The bottom line: Porn is alive and well in the Old Dominion.