That... that was easy.
That Doesn't Work
The state of Louisiana just enacted a new porn access law requiring internet users to upload a digital version of a government-issued ID to some fairly sketchy third-party services to access popular adult websites like Pornhub.
The law, according to its backers, seeks to protect children from premature porn exposure. But beyond the law's overt data risks — not to mention the slippery slope it poses to surveillance and even moral policing — there's another pretty serious problem with the state's attempted digital barricade: it straight up just doesn't work.
"All you gotta do is turn the WiFi off," a Louisiana-based source told Futurism, explaining that he discovered the trick while attempting to access Pornhub in an area with spotty internet service. "And when the video starts you can turn the WiFi back on so it plays clearer."
In other words, switching to 5G seems to bypass the third-party barrier — no VPN required. It does require a smartphone, but research shows that's where the vast majority of porn gets watched these days anyway.
"Now if you want to watch porn on your computer like a grandpaw," the source warned, "then you're fucked."
Extremely Dumb
A quick scroll through Louisiana Reddit appeared to confirm the workaround.
"Dumb," wrote one Reddit commenter. "Turn your wifi off and use 5G."
"Turning on my phone's mobile data instead of wifi was all it took to bypass it," provided yet another.
And if that's not enough, one user even discovered that even when using WiFi, the law — which supposedly applies to all websites comprised of at least "33.3 percent" or more pornographic content — didn't even block all porn-specific platforms, some of which are known to have shockingly horrendous content moderation practices.
"I tested this out yesterday w/ Pornhub, Xvideos and XHamster," added another user. "Pornhub was the only one that required this, and that was when I was connected to my WiFi at home. If I connected to it using my data, I did not get the prompt."
In other words, the Louisiana law is ill-informed at best — and broken in practice.
More on Louisiana's extremely silly law: New Louisiana Law Forces You to Upload ID to Watch Porn Online
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