UK Regulator Investigates Pornhub Owner Over Age Verification Failures

The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, is investigating Aylo, the company behind Pornhub, over whether it is complying with the Online Safety Act's requirement for 'highly effective' age verification. In May, Pornhub adopted a new age assurance method relying on signals from Apple indicating whether a UK user may have completed Apple's own age checks. Ofcom is concerned that Aylo may not have carried out sufficient testing or due diligence before rolling out this method, potentially allowing children to continue accessing the site's content.

Ofcom's director of enforcement, George Lusty, stressed that companies must ensure age checks are proven effective before deployment, warning that anything less puts children at risk. The regulator will now gather evidence to determine whether Aylo breached the law, after which the company will have a chance to respond before any formal findings or penalties are issued.

If Ofcom concludes Aylo failed to meet its obligations, the company could face fines of up to £18 million (about $23.8 million) or 10% of its global revenue, whichever is higher, along with orders to fix the deficiencies. Aylo has noted that Ofcom previously praised Apple's age verification approach, which it says it relies upon.