The UK's communications regulator has opened a formal investigation into Aylo, the company that owns Pornhub, examining whether its recently deployed age verification system genuinely prevents minors from viewing adult material.
Ofcom announced in May that Pornhub had introduced a new age verification process for certain users, which operates through a third-party provider—specifically Apple's infrastructure. The regulator expressed reservations about whether Aylo undertook adequate due diligence and testing before rolling out this mechanism, raising questions about its actual effectiveness in blocking child access to pornographic content.
The Online Safety Act (OSA) imposes a legal requirement on sites hosting pornographic material to deploy age assurance measures that are highly effective in confirming users are aged 18 or over. Ofcom's investigation will focus on how Aylo implements its age verification procedures and whether the company performed the requisite due diligence prior to deployment. The regulator has clarified that it will not examine how Apple itself operates its age-checking technology.
George Lusty, Ofcom's Director of Enforcement, stated:
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.
Under the Online Safety Act framework, Ofcom possesses enforcement authority to impose financial penalties on non-compliant organisations reaching £18 million or 10% of their annual worldwide revenue, whichever figure is larger. Aylo has been approached for a response to the investigation.
What happens next?
The investigation will determine whether Aylo's age verification approach meets the statutory standard of being highly effective. Should the regulator find the system inadequate, enforcement action could follow, potentially resulting in substantial fines under the Online Safety Act's penalty framework.
