Arizona’s Surge in VPN Searches Following New Porn Age Laws

Arizona has recently seen a significant increase in searches for VPNs, particularly in Maricopa, as new porn age verification laws have taken effect. This uptick seems to reflect a broader reaction to the legislation.

House Bill 2112 was enacted on Friday, requiring adult content providers to verify users’ identities via government IDs. In the wake of this, many users appear to be seeking ways to circumvent these constraints, leading to a dramatic rise in VPN searches.

Data from Google Trends shows that in the first day after the law was enacted, searches for VPNs in Arizona reached new highs, placing the state at the forefront of the country in this category. The rapid increase indicates how quickly residents are looking for solutions to the new regulations.

At the city level, interest in VPNs has surged across Arizona. For example, Cottonwood’s Verde Valley received a perfect score for VPN popularity. Maricopa was a close second in terms of rising searches this past week.

This reaction hasn’t gone unnoticed. Critics of the law anticipated such a response. Darrell Hill, from the Arizona chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, suggested that the outcome might be contrary to what legislators intended. Notably, PornHub has already begun blocking access for users in Arizona rather than implementing the ID checks.

Interestingly, a small community in Maricopa called Stanfield ranked second in searches for “Pornhub,” indicating that the curiosity doesn’t only revolve around VPNs.

The law, championed by Republican Rep. Nick Kupper from West Valley, is described as a “blanket protection” for children. Supporters argue it holds adult content providers accountable. Kupper stated, “There’s no excuse to give kids unlimited access to hardcore porn,” stressing the importance of the legislation.

Here are a few Arizona communities showing the highest increases in VPN interest:

This data also highlights certain regions with notable spikes in searches for adult content hubs.