Ofcom investigates Pornhub owner Aylo over Apple-based age checks

Ofcom has opened an investigation into Aylo, the owner of Pornhub, over whether the site’s new age-check system is preventing children from accessing pornographic content.

The regulator said Aylo may not have carried out enough testing before launching the system, meaning it may not be sufficiently effective.

Apple system under review

The investigation will examine how Aylo implemented its age-assurance process and whether it completed the necessary checks beforehand. Ofcom will not investigate how Apple operates its own age checks.

Under the UK Online Safety Act, pornographic websites must use highly effective methods to establish that users are over 18. The law does not prescribe a particular verification method.

George Lusty, Ofcom’s director of enforcement, said companies should establish that age checks are highly effective before introducing them because weaker systems could leave children exposed to harmful material.

Aylo’s defence and expert concerns

Aylo said it would cooperate fully with the investigation and defended Apple’s system. After testing several age-assurance methods across multiple markets, the company says Apple’s approach offers stronger protection than other methods currently available in the UK.

Aylo also cited Ofcom’s earlier description of Apple’s technology as a positive development for children and families. The company argues that requiring individual pornography sites to verify users can push people towards less regulated services.

Iain Corby, executive director of the Age Verification Providers Association, told the BBC that a site could not rely solely on a mobile-device system without demonstrating that it met the required standard. He questioned whether Apple could show that the same person was using the device each time and that its filter would consistently block access to all adult sites.

Earlier UK access restrictions

In October 2025, Pornhub said traffic from UK users had fallen by more than 75% after stronger age checks were introduced. Some people questioned whether users were bypassing the measures with virtual private networks.

In January, Pornhub announced restrictions on UK access, leaving content available only to people who had previously created an account. Aylo said the updated legal requirements had failed to achieve their aim of protecting minors.

Ofcom can fine a non-compliant company up to £18m or 10% of its annual global turnover, whichever is greater.