When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
In March 2024, Utah's 'S.B. 287' bill started forcing adult sites to prevent access to minors. However, the response of the adult entertainment industry was drastic. Some of the biggest porn sites are no longer available in Utah, as they're refusing to collect their users' personal data. That's because age verification checks are done by uploading a government-issued ID.
Submitting your personal information to porn sites is problematic on several grounds. Most worryingly, your porn-watching habits could leak online. However, there's a simple solution to that. You can use a VPN to unblock porn sites, as well as bypass age verification checks.
In this guide, we'll talk about how to watch porn in Utah, why you need a VPN for that, which VPNs work for unblocking PornHub in the state, and we'll explain more about why Utah bans porn. We'll also list the adult sites that still work, explain the age verification process, and talk about legal implications before we wrap up with some FAQs.
Utah's porn legislation aims to prevent minors from accessing pornography on the Web. As per the bill's reasoning, pornography can influence the development of mental health issues, create body image problems, and affect how minors perceive sexual and intimate relationships. Those reasons might be valid, but the issue is in the way content blocks are implemented.
More precisely, sites with 33.3% adult content are forced to check users' age. That can be done using a government-issued ID, submitting a driver's license, or scanning your face. No matter which method you pick, your personal information will remain stored on a third-party server. In the case of a data breach, that information could leak and become publicly available.
As a way to preserve the privacy of their users, some of the biggest adult sites have decided not to serve Utah anymore. For example, PornHub now blocks Utah IP addresses and shows a lengthy message about the legal consequences of being forced to process sensitive information. That said, Utah's porn law is here to stay, so we don't expect this situation to change in the future.
You need to use a VPN to connect to a server in a US state with unrestricted access to PornHub and other adult sites. So, you'll need to sign up for a VPN and then install its app. Use the following steps:
It's imperative to pick a VPN location where porn isn't restricted. At the moment, you can go with New York or California, which will let you unblock any porn site and evade age verification checks.
To be able to bypass Utah's age-verification checks, you need an ultra-capable porn VPN that meets specific criteria. For example, you'll want advanced techniques to bypass geo-blocked and censored content, which gives you unrestricted access to any porn site. Also, having an extensive server network is crucial, and you'll want those servers to be in locations with free access to porn.
Furthermore, look for an audited no-logs policy, proven VPN protocols, and robust data encryption. You also need obfuscated servers that hide your traffic, a kill switch to prevent data leaks, and split tunneling to create parallel data tunnels. It's also crucial to pick a speedy VPN provider that helps you avoid buffering and slow streaming. All that should come wrapped in a polished UI/UX.
We also recommend aiming for a high number of simultaneous connections and support for various devices and operating systems. Let's not forget that everything listed above should come at a reasonable price, a generous money-back guarantee, and reliable customer support.
Based on the criteria laid out above, these are the 3 best VPNs for unblocking PornHub in Utah:
NordVPN offers an unparalleled set of features and makes bypassing blocked content as easy as possible. With this VPN, you gain access to PornHub and any other adult site without fearing that someone might see what you do online. That's possible thanks to NordVPN's network of 6,400+ servers in 111 countries, giving you plenty of content-unblocking options.
This provider is also known for offering an often-audited no-logs policy, VPN protocols like NordLynx, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPsec, paired with high-end data encryption like AES-256 and ChaCha20. You'll also find a group of obfuscated servers, a kill switch across all its supported devices, and split tunneling, making NordVPN suitable for beginners and experienced users.
You'll also be amazed by its performance, as NordVPN is among the speediest VPNs per our tests. Plus, it offers a highly polished and modern interface with clearly labeled servers, options, and features while using the same design principles across different devices. Furthermore, NordVPN supports up to 10 simultaneous connections and offers apps for any device imaginable.
Right now, NordVPN is priced at only $2.99/month for its 2-year plan, which comes backed by a solid 30-day money-back guarantee. We'll also mention that numerous customer support resources are on board, including 24/7 live chat support, installation guides, explainers, e-mail support, and more.
PROS
CONS
Surfshark offers intelligent data routing that produces amazing content-unblocking results. With this VPN, unblocking PornHub from North Carolina is a breeze, and the same applies to practically any other adult site on the Internet. This provider offers 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, so bypassing geo-blocks should never be an issue.
You can also expect an audited no-logs policy, protocols such as OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2/IPsec, as well as AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption. Surfshark also offers special obfuscated servers to hide your VPN data from your ISP. There's also a kill switch that prevents data leaks and split tunneling that allows you to create a VPN and a non-VPN tunnel simultaneously.
Surfshark's performance doesn't disappoint either. This is an incredibly fast provider with speedy nearby and remote connections. Plus, we're huge fans of its user interface, which makes it easy to select a server, pick your favorite, adjust various settings, and more. Let's not forget that Surfshark supports unlimited simultaneous connections and delivers apps for any device imaginable.
You can get started with this VPN for $1.99/month by picking its 2-year plan. As you can imagine, a 30-day money-back policy is on board. Of course, there's also 24/7 live chat support, in addition to e-mail support, FAQs, setup guides, and lots more.
PROS
CONS
ExpressVPN is a long-standing VPN that supports an extra-wide range of possible use cases. If you prioritize access to pornography and bypassing age checks, this VPN will undoubtedly meet your needs. It unblocks PornHub in an instant, as well as sites like RedTube, Tube8, xHamster, XNXX, and more, thanks to its extensive server network across 105 countries.
You'll find a no-logs policy, which has been audited countless times. Regarding the available protocols, you'll encounter Lightway, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPsec, coupled with AES-256 and WolfSSL. Every ExpressVPN server comes with obfuscation enabled by default, and there are also advanced features, such as a kill switch, split tunneling, ad-blocking, anti-tracking, and more.
Whether you pick a nearby or highly remote server, you'll see that ExpressVPN offers fantastic speeds. What's also impressive is its interface. You'll encounter a mobile-like interface across all its supported devices, making ExpressVPN one of the easiest VPNs to use. On top of that, you get up to 8 simultaneous connections and native software for any device.
ExpressVPN's annual plan costs $6.67/month. All subscription plans are backed by a generous 30-day money-back policy. Lastly, this provider also offers 24/7 live chat support, e-mail support, in-depth installation guides, an active blog section, and plenty more.
PROS
CONS
A VPN is the only way to get around the Utah porn ban, unblock any porn site, bypass age verification checks, as well as ensure no one can see what you do online. Without a VPN, you'll encounter a limited selection of porn sites, as well as serious privacy intrusions on the Web.
We'll remind you that some of the biggest porn sites have decided to back out of Utah. For example, PornHub is no longer accessible, and you'll encounter a message on its home page that starts with: "As you may know, your elected officials in Utah are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website."
Other reasons why VPNs are mandatory are the following:
Of course, it's crucial to stick to capable VPNs for porn sites, as your privacy is at risk here. That said, you won't find a better option than NordVPN, which remains the most capable provider today.
At the moment, XNXX and xVideos are the only porn sites available in Utah without age checks. That said, it's possible these sites would be forced to lock their content soon, as they might face serious legal consequences. You can also visit xHamster and Chaturbate, but those sites will ask to verify your age.
Websites such as PornHub, RedTube, YouPorn, Brazzers, and many other porn sites in Utah are no longer available. They all display the reasons why they're protesting the newly enacted porn laws, so there's no way to access their content with a local IP.
Here's the situation regarding the availability of porn sites in Utah:
Once Utah's Senate Bill 287 became active, many adult sites implemented multiple ways to check and verify their users' age. In most cases, you're allowed to pick from three options. You can use a third-party app (like Yoti) to create your digital ID, which can be used across a series of websites and services. Also, you can upload your ID directly to the website to create a verified account.
We'll also note that porn sites have also started utilizing AI technologies to recognize your age. This lets the website use your device's camera to see your face. Then, AI will try to determine your age without you having to upload any sensitive information. In this case, you won't have to upload your ID, but remember that your photo will be stored on a third-party server.
Each of the previously explained age verification methods requires you to submit your highly sensitive information to a third party. In other words, accessing porn sites in Utah forces you to allow someone else to see and store your official ID or a photo of your face, which is a clear privacy intrusion.
For example, if you decide to use the Yoti app, you'll need to download it onto your device, sign up for an account, provide your personal data, allow your face to be scanned, and accept the app's privacy policy, which states that your data can be used for research purposes.
Even more worrying is that Yoti will ask for your permit to share your data with ad partners without providing detailed information on what data is shared, for what purpose, and how that data traffic should be handled and secured.
As per Utah's latest porn legislation, adult sites are not allowed to store your ID after access is granted. However, there are no guarantees that your data won't be stored, which can be a significant issue in the future if a data breach happens, for example.
Since VPNs are legal across the United States, you won't face any legal consequences if you decide to use any commercially available VPN to access porn in Utah. Also, Internet providers across the US don't have a problem with their users utilizing VPN services, so you will not encounter any technical blocks.
Of course, you need to be at least 18 to access adult content in the state, and most porn sites will show you a warning upon visiting them. Your "Yes" or "No" response doesn't come with any legal consequence, as that's just another way for adult sites to prevent minors from accessing them. That said, access to porn isn't blocked in Utah - you just have to deal with age verification checks.
We'll remind you that even though VPNs hide your Web data, they're not an excuse to do anything against the law. As long as you use them to bypass porn site's blocks and evade age checks, you won't be breaking any laws.
Preventing minors from accessing adult content is a welcome idea, but Utah's S.B. 287 legislation uses overly restrictive and potentially dangerous methods. You're risking your privacy when going through age verifications that force you to hand over your ID, and you'll find many porn sites blocked. That said, all you need is a capable VPN, which is the best way to bypass any Internet restriction.
NordVPN provides everything you need to watch porn in Utah and bypass age verifications. You can use its US-based servers to open up your access to the Web, and access blocked websites like PornHub, while NordVPN's security features will ensure you're not tracked online. In other words, you won't have to worry about potential future data leaks that could expose your online activity.
That's all for our guide on how to unblock your access to porn in Utah. If you have any questions, let us know via the comments section below. Thanks for sticking with us until the end!