Pornhub Is Banned in Indiana After New Law Forces Age Checks

The world’s biggest porn site goes dark in Indiana after a new age-verification law kicks in.

Red State, Blue Balls 

Indiana just joined the short but growing list of U.S. states where Pornhub is officially off-limits. The popular adult site pulled the plug for Hoosier users after Republican lawmakers passed a bill requiring adult sites to implement strict age-verification technology. That might sound like a safety move on paper, but the result is a total blackout of the site for everyone, not just minors.

The law, Senate Enrolled Act 17, says websites that show “harmful material” to minors have to verify users’ ages using “reasonable methods.” Sounds simple. But to Pornhub and its parent company, Aylo (formerly MindGeek), it’s a logistical and privacy nightmare. They say these laws don’t just protect minors, they punish adults. Rather than roll out state-specific tech and risk data breaches, Pornhub decided to bounce entirely from Indiana, just like it did in Virginia, Mississippi, and other states with similar rules.

For everyday users in Indiana, the screen now shows a stark black message: “As a result of legislation… we have made the difficult decision to disable access to our website in this state.” That’s it. No workarounds. No fun.

So, Why Did Pornhub Really Go Dark in Indiana?

Lawmakers behind this new bill say they’re just trying to protect kids. Senator Tyler Johnson, who pushed it, insists it’s not about banning anything. It’s about making sure minors can’t just click their way into adult sites.

But not everyone’s buying that. Some people, including groups like the ACLU, think it’s just a sneaky way to censor adults. They say the law’s super vague and ends up blocking grown-ups from watching stuff they’re totally allowed to watch.

Pornhub? They say they’re all for keeping kids out, but they’re not cool with risking user privacy or jumping through different hoops for every state. What they really want is one clear rule across the whole country. Something that makes sense no matter where you live.

And honestly, this isn’t new for them. Whenever a state passes one of these messy laws, Pornhub tends to just shut things down instead of dealing with the hassle. So yeah, Indiana’s not the first, and it definitely won’t be the last.

The Bigger Picture: What Happens When Porn Gets Banned

The immediate effect? Thousands of Hoosiers suddenly locked out of their favorite adult content. But the longer-term consequences could be messier.

When legal porn disappears, people often turn to illegal sources such as pirated content, shady websites, and platforms with zero regulation. In trying to “protect the children,” these laws may be pushing users toward even riskier options. That includes sites with no moderation, no consent filters, and no concern for user safety.

There’s also the privacy concern. Critics worry that forced ID verification could lead to data breaches or even public shaming. After all, uploading your ID to a porn site (even a legit one) feels like a step too far for many. And without anonymous access, traffic drops. Big time.

Pornhub says it has tried age verification methods in Louisiana, where a similar law passed. But there, they went the opposite route, keeping the site live and working with third-party verifiers. In Indiana, they decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. So now, Indiana joins a digital wasteland where the lights are off, and nobody’s getting off either.

What Comes Next?

The fight is far from over. More states are drafting similar bills, and the adult industry is on high alert. Meanwhile, legal experts expect lawsuits to pile up, with free speech advocates challenging these state-level age checks in court.

But the cultural divide is clear: red states are clamping down on porn, while blue states are, for now, keeping things a bit looser. For users in Indiana, the options are slim. VPNs, while popular, aren’t exactly foolproof. And they’re definitely not endorsed by the lawmakers who pushed this bill.

So what do Hoosiers do now? Wait. Or go elsewhere. Or, if they’re feeling bold, speak up. Because when something as popular (and as taboo) as porn gets banned, it says a lot more about a state’s politics than it does about public safety.