Full Breakdown
Ofcom Investigates Pornhub’s Age-Verification System Under the Online Safety Act
By Drooid · · How we work
Investigation Overview
The UK communications regulator Ofcom has opened a formal probe into Aylo, the owner of Pornhub, to assess whether the site’s new age-verification process effectively blocks children from accessing adult content. Ofcom’s powers under the Online Safety Act (OSA) include fines of up to £18 million or 10 % of global turnover, whichever is greater, for non-compliant providers.
Regulatory Context and Recent Traffic Shifts
The OSA requires online platforms that host pornographic material to implement “highly effective” age assurance. In October 2025, Pornhub reported a more than 75 % drop in UK traffic after earlier, stricter age checks were rolled out. The company later limited UK access to existing account holders and, in May, announced a partial reopening for users who had verified their age through Apple’s latest iOS version.
Official Statements & Responses
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.” He added that the regulator expects technology firms to ensure any age-assurance system is “highly effective” before deployment.
Beeban Kidron, a cross-bench peer and child-internet-safety campaigner, welcomed the investigation, calling for “extremely effective privacy-preserving age assurance” to become a sector priority.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Online age checks are a vital protection to prevent children from encountering inappropriate or harmful material, including pornography.” — Ofcom's Director, of Enforcement
- “As a result, we are concerned that Aylo’s process may not be highly effective at preventing children from seeing pornography.” — Some Ofcom