Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
newsFeb 23, 202424:51pending

Could an ID law trigger a Pornhub blackout?

Front Burner

About this episode

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says his party supports a bill from an independent senator that would require websites to verify users' ages before allowing them to see sexually explicit content — similar to laws recently passed in the U.K., several E.U. countries and numerous American states. But critics say the law would be disastrous for privacy and civil liberties — and industry titan Pornhub says it might force them to block Canadians from the site altogether, as they've already done in some of those other jurisdictions.


Sam Cole — a journalist with 404 Media and the host of Front Burner's upcoming spinoff podcast, The Pornhub Empire: Understood — explains the controversy around a seemingly simple push to protect children online, and what it could mean for the future of the online porn industry.


For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts


Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Get every episode summarized

Each time Front Burner publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

Hosts & guests

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

Could an ID law trigger a Pornhub blackout?

Front Burner

0:00
24:51

More episodes

More from Front Burner

View all episodes →