Pornhub remains accessible in Ohio despite a new state law requiring websites that host pornographic material to verify users’ ages through photo identification or similar records. The adult content giant says the law does not apply to its business because of how the statute defines online service providers.

The measure, which took effect September 30, mandates that organizations presenting materials “obscene or harmful to juveniles” must use government-issued IDs or comparable documentation—such as employment or mortgage records—to verify a user’s age. Companies that fail to comply could face lawsuits.

However, the law explicitly excludes “interactive computer services,” a category that courts have interpreted broadly to include platforms like Google, Meta, and other companies hosting third-party content.

Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, argues that the same exemption applies to its operations.

“It is our understanding that we are not subject to the obligations under [the new Ohio law] regarding mandated age verification for the ‘interactive computer services’ we provide, such as Pornhub,” Aylo said in a statement to Mashable.

The company’s position contrasts with its actions in other jurisdictions. Pornhub has shut down or restricted access in more than 20 states and several countries, including France, where age-verification rules have been strictly enforced.

Republican lawmakers and advocacy groups supported the Ohio legislation, describing it as a measure to protect minors from online sexual content.

“Parents need to be empowered to protect the innocence of their children,” said David Mahan of the Center for Christian Virtue, a group that backed the bill. “This legislation is another vitally important step toward putting the safety of children over the financial aspirations of predatory industries.”

Ohio’s age-verification statute, Section 1349.10 of the Ohio Revised Code, follows similar laws passed in Louisiana, Utah, and Texas over the past two years. But because of the legal classification Pornhub claims under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act—which shields web platforms from liability for user-generated content—the site continues to operate in Ohio without implementing additional verification.

Aylo has previously said it supports the idea of protecting minors but maintains that device-level age verification, rather than site-specific systems, is a more effective and privacy-preserving approach.

For now, Pornhub remains one of the few major adult sites accessible in Ohio without mandatory identification, setting the state apart from a growing list of jurisdictions tightening access to online pornography.