Looks like Oklahoma has to say goodbye to Pornhub.

The parent company of Pornhub, Aylo, has confirmed that Oklahoma residents will no longer be able to access the platform starting Friday, November 1. The move comes in response to a new age verification law, Senate Bill (SB) 1959, which mandates stricter measures for adult content websites to prevent minors from accessing explicit material.

The legislation requires websites hosting adult content to implement “reasonable” age verification measures to ensure users are not minors. Failure to comply could result in civil lawsuits or legal action initiated by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office. The law also allows Oklahoma residents to request adult sites to withhold content from their devices.

In an advisory issued by the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), concerns were raised about potential liability for platforms operating in Oklahoma. The advisory noted that the attorney general’s office is expected to publish guidance to help commercial entities comply with the law. The FSC stated that it has reached out to Drummond’s office to clarify the status of these regulations, but has not received a response yet.

Pornhub’s decision to block access in Oklahoma follows similar moves in states like Texas and Louisiana, which have also enacted stringent age verification requirements. In a statement, Aylo criticized the approach, arguing that these laws push users toward less-regulated “darker corners of the internet,” potentially increasing risks for both adults and children.

“In practice, the laws have just made the internet more dangerous,” the statement read. “The best solution to make the internet safer, preserve user privacy, and prevent children from accessing adult content is performing age verification at the source: on the device.”

Aylo suggested that rather than relying on individual identification, devices such as cell phones should be tagged to indicate if they belong to a minor, a method that, according to the company, could be more effective in preventing minors’ access to adult content.

State Sen. Jerry Alvord (R-Wilson), who sponsored the legislation, said the law is intended to provide parents with tools to protect children from accessing explicit material. “This allows parents to put age verification blockings on their devices,” Alvord said, emphasizing that websites can still operate in the state if they comply with the new requirements.

Alvord further noted that Pornhub and other sites could use third-party age verification services, such as BlueCheck, to avoid potential liability. BlueCheck, he said, would ensure that user data remains secure and prevent X-rated sites from collecting sensitive information.

However, critics of the law, including state Rep. Andy Fugate (D-Oklahoma City), have raised several issues. Fugate questioned whether the legislation assumes that websites can accurately verify user locations and securely manage users’ data. He argued that the law oversteps its bounds by attempting to act as a parental control measure.

“This body is being asked to be Oklahoma’s parent, and again, it is not our role, it is not our job, it is not our place,” Fugate said during the bill’s debate.

Oklahoma is among several states pushing for age verification laws for adult content websites in recent years, citing concerns about minors’ exposure to explicit material. Texas’s similar law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in April, reinforcing the legal standing for these measures. Louisiana’s law, which requires age verification on adult sites, led to Pornhub blocking access to its platforms in that state as well.

Aylo’s stance is consistent with its reaction to other state-imposed age verification laws. The company has repeatedly argued that while it supports initiatives to prevent minors from accessing adult content, current laws are flawed in execution, often driving users to riskier platforms and compromising data privacy.

As the law takes effect in Oklahoma, discussions about effective measures to safeguard minors and user privacy will likely continue, with broader implications for adult content access and digital privacy nationwide. In the meantime, Oklahoma residents attempting to access Pornhub after November 1 will be met with a geo-block as Aylo enforces compliance with SB 1959.