A new year brings new beginnings - but not everyone is so thrilled with 2024 so far.
Pornhub users in Montana and North Carolina have been flocking to social media to report they've been banned from the adult site.
According to journalist-founded news site 404 Media, from January 1 Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, blocked viewers from these two states.
This is all down to the new age verification laws that went into effect in 2024.
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Montana’s SB 544 law states 'pornography is creating a public health crisis and having a corroding influence on minors', while North Carolina’s HB 8 is the law in question there.
These laws follow in the footsteps of Louisiana, requiring age verification to view porn.
Instead of calling for users in Montana and North Carolina to confirm their identity every time they use their sites - which as well as Pornhub, also includes Redtube, Brazzers and YouPorn - Aylo has blocked these states from access.
One Montana resident posted the blocked message on X, formerly known as Twitter - along with the assertion that they "hate living in this state. But I'm stuck."
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The message on the blocked Pornhub site read:
"As you may know, your elected officials in Montana are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website. While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk."
The statement went on to read: "We believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials and websites based on that identification. Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Montana."
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Google Trends data suggests that search interest in the word 'VPN' increased on January 3 in North Carolina and Montana.
While these kinds of laws - which are being seen across other states as well - have their critics, lawmakers have supported them.
North Carolina Senator Amy Galey told local news outlet WRAL News: "It's a problem. And it can’t just be up to the parent. We have to help the parents."
She continued: "We’re not going after the risqué and the R-rated. But we need some kind of firewall for hard core pornography.”