Wild Searches Trending in Texas After Porn Ban

Never saw that coming!

Blue Streak

Ever since the world's top online filth purveyor Pornhub blocked all of Texas earlier this month, the libidinous desires of residents of the Lone Star State have been on full display via Google search trends.

Warren Brown, a deputy editor for San Antonio Express-News, found out that Texans have been using search terms like "how to watch porn in Texas?" and "Pornhub alternatives." Others have been looking up virtual private network services or VPNs in order to skirt around the ban by hiding their IP addresses.

In sum, Brown wrote, the "whole debacle has provided a reminder of is just how horny the Lone Star State is."

Brown specifically looked at search trends from the time the Pornhub ban went into effect, March 14, all the way to March 22.

The search term "how to watch porn in Texas?" had ticked up an extraordinary 3,500 percent during that time period with — surprise! — conservative areas like Lubbock scoring highest for this search term. For context, Lubbock passed an anti-abortion ordinance in 2021 making the municipality a "Sanctuary City for the Unborn."

Speech Issue

Pornhub banning Texas traffic is a result of federal courts upholding a ruling that requires explicit websites like Pornhub to verify the ages of website visitors. The age verification requirement, which is meant to protect minors, was passed into law last year.

Pornhub representatives have argued that the age verification requirement is against First Amendment rights on accessing protected free speech, while others have said the law would make it harder for people to seek information on sexual education and information on LGBTQ issues.

And let's be real: if the government is operating a database of everybody who looks at smut, what happens if it leaks or gets hacked?

Besides Texas, other states such as Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi have enacted similar laws and have been subsequently blocked from accessing porn websites. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just signed a law on Monday that also requires age verification.

It also makes you wonder if these age verification rulings are even effective. The jury is out, but judging from Google search terms in Texas, people will still find a way to get off.

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