Pornhub investigated by UK’s online watchdog
Ofcom is worried Pornhub over-relied on Apple’s age checks to keep kids off its platform.
London — The UK's online safety regulator, Ofcom, announced on Wednesday the initiation of an investigation into Pornhub's parent company, Aylo, over its reliance on Apple's device-based age checks to prevent children from accessing adult content. Since July 2025, all sites and apps offering pornography are required to implement age checks in compliance with the UK's Online Safety Act.
In February, Pornhub blocked all unregistered UK users, citing a decline in traffic as visitors shifted to non-compliant sites and arguing that only device-based age checks conducted by Apple and Google would create a level playing field. In May, the site announced its accessibility to Apple users following the introduction of age checks as part of its latest iOS software update.
However, Ofcom expressed concerns that "Aylo may not have conducted sufficient due diligence and testing before implementing its new age assurance process." According to the Online Safety Act, it is the responsibility of the service provider, in this case Aylo, to ensure that the age check process is highly effective. George Lusty, Ofcom's director of enforcement, emphasized that "online age checks are a vital protection to prevent children from encountering inappropriate or harmful material, including pornography.
We expect tech firms to ensure age checks are highly effective before introducing them. Anything less could leave children at risk." Aylo declined to comment on the matter.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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