🔒Ofcom Investigates Pornhub's Apple Age Checks
UK Regulator Scrutinizes Pornhub's New Age Assurance
TL;DR
Ofcom is investigating Pornhub's new age assurance process for UK users, which relies on signals from Apple's age checks. The probe will assess if Pornhub's owner Aylo complied with the Online Safety Act's age assurance duties.
Ofcom is investigating Pornhub's new age assurance process for UK users, which relies on signals from Apple's age checks. The probe will assess if Pornhub's owner Aylo complied with the Online Safety Act's age assurance duties that came into force in July 2025. This investigation is crucial for understanding how tech companies implement and test age verification systems, especially those relying on third-party services like Apple. Pornhub introduced the new process in May 2026, allowing some UK users to regain access, but new users on Android and other platforms remain restricted. The investigation will examine Aylo's testing and due diligence before deploying the system, focusing on the effectiveness of the age assurance process.
Key Points
Ofcom is investigating Pornhub's age assurance process, introduced in May 2026, for UK users.
The process relies on signals from Apple's age checks, indicating a user may have completed Apple's verification.
Aylo restricted Pornhub to new UK users on February 2, citing a 47% decline in traffic after OSA rules took effect.
Existing UK users who had already verified their age retained access, while new users on Android and other platforms remain locked out.
Ofcom can impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, for noncompliance.
Why It Matters
If you're relying on third-party age checks for user verification, this investigation by Ofcom will show how Pornhub's owner Aylo implemented and tested its age assurance process. The effectiveness of such systems is crucial for preventing children from accessing inappropriate content.
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