Maitland Ward is standing by Pornhub’s decision to ban Florida from its list of users. The adult film actress recently weighed in on the explicit platform’s reaction to the state’s new law. Florida announced its decision to make age verification the first step to visit porn sites.
From January 1, 2025, anyone in Florida interested in visiting an adult platform must prove they are 18. To achieve this, all users must show their state ID, a requirement Pornhub refused to accept. The platform’s parent company, Aylo, blocked access to Florida residents instead of complying with the law.
When asked about Pornhub’s choice, the Boy Meets World alum acknowledged why Florida was worried about age verification. She stressed that the adult platform was “not perfect” and could do more to restrict minors. However, as a free site, she believed forcing people to drop their IDs could backfire in the long run.
On that note, Ward praised Pornhub’s stance against the new law, declaring, “I applaud them for standing up for it.” She believed their decision supported free speech and ensured viewers’ privacy without the government tracking their adult activities. Unfortunately, resisting the law and banning Florida users meant a significant loss for the explicit platform.
Ward noted Pornhub’s decision could leave Florida residents with a grudge, especially with the state’s significance to the industry. It is one of the four states where it is legal to film professional porn and the ban could be a double-edged sword. However, the adult actress believed the new law could improve the viewership of paid adult platforms.
Since paid sites require a credit card, sharing an ID might not seem invasive to old and new users. On the bright side for Florida residents, the Free Speech Coalition is fighting against the new law. They filed a federal lawsuit against the state on Monday, December 16. They argued that the new law violates free speech rights while endangering users’ personal data, per TMZ.
Maitland Ward Suspected Donald Trump’s Reign Would Impact the Adult Film Industry
Florida’s new age verification law might be one of the problems Ward suspected would happen with Donald Trump’s re-election. We covered in November that the explicit content creator believed the politician would significantly impact the adult film industry. She argued that he would have a negative effect on the field because of his religious supporters.
“He’s not likely to do porn stars a ton of favors,” Ward said about Trump. Despite arguing that his reign would spell trouble for the porn industry, she accepted his economic impact. The media personality agreed that he could manage the country’s financial situation better than the outgoing VP, Kamala Harris.
Ward stressed that people needed groceries and housing costs to come down; however, she could not vote for Trump. Besides his impact on the adult industry, she blamed him for the overturned Roe v. Wade. In her opinion, abortion rights would never have been an issue if he never appointed conservative Supreme Court Judges.
While Ward believed porn stars should vote for Harris, fellow adult actress Richelle Ryan shared a different opinion. The explicit content creator argued that Trump would increase the adult industry’s growth by improving the country’s financial status.
Is Florida’s new law a problem for the porn industry, or will it increase the viewership of paid platforms?
