Pornhub Investigated: Ofcom Probes Age Checks Amid Safety Concerns
Pornhub Investigated: Ofcom Probes Age Checks Amid Safety Concerns
UK regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into Pornhub's age verification methods, questioning if its reliance on Apple's system adequately protects children online.
The UK's online content regulator, Ofcom, has initiated a formal investigation into Aylo, the owner of adult entertainment platform Pornhub, concerning the effectiveness of its age verification processes. The probe centers on whether the site's reliance on third-party checks, specifically those provided by Apple for some users, is robust enough to prevent minors from accessing adult content.
Ofcom expressed concerns that Aylo might not have conducted sufficient due diligence and testing before implementing this new system. Under the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA), sites hosting pornographic material are mandated to employ "highly effective age assurance" to ensure users are over 18. This legislation, enacted to bolster online safety, allows services to choose their verification method, but stresses the need for its efficacy.
Aylo, in a statement, has strongly defended its age verification system and pledged full cooperation with the investigation. The company argues that Apple's system offers
significantly stronger protection than any other age assurance method currently available in the UK market,
a technology which Ofcom itself had previously lauded as "a real win for children and families." Aylo also contends that overly stringent checks on compliant sites could inadvertently push users towards riskier, non-compliant platforms that may host harmful or illegal content.
However, industry experts like Iain Corby, executive director of the Age Verification Providers Association, have voiced skepticism. Corby questions whether a mobile device-based system alone can consistently verify that the person accessing the site is the same individual who initially proved their age, or if Apple's filter would reliably block access to all adult content.
This investigation marks the latest in a series of confrontations between the regulator and the adult content giant.
The OSA empowers Ofcom to impose hefty fines on non-compliant companies, reaching up to £18 million or 10% of their annual global turnover, whichever is greater.
In October 2025, Pornhub reported a more than 75% drop in UK traffic following the introduction of more robust age checks, leading some to speculate that users were circumventing these measures with VPNs. In January, Pornhub temporarily restricted access to its site in the UK, citing the tougher checks, before partially restoring access for some UK Apple users in May, contingent on their iOS version and prior age confirmation.
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