Ofcom Probes Pornhub Parent Aylo Over Age Verification Effectiveness

The communications regulator Ofcom has initiated an inquiry into Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, focusing on the efficacy of its newly implemented age verification system. The investigation aims to determine if the measures are sufficiently robust in preventing minors from accessing adult content.

Ofcom disclosed in May that the platform had introduced a third-party verification process reliant on Apple for a segment of its user base. The regulator raised concerns that Aylo “may not have conducted sufficient due diligence and testing” prior to deployment, suggesting the system might not be highly effective at blocking underage access.

Under the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), websites hosting pornographic material are mandated to employ highly effective age assurance technologies to confirm users are over 18. The BBC has reached out to Aylo for a response regarding these proceedings.

During the investigation, Ofcom will scrutinize how Aylo executed its verification processes and whether adequate due diligence was performed. The regulator specified that it would not examine the operations of Apple’s age check systems.

George Lusty, Ofcom’s Director of Enforcement, emphasized the critical nature of these safeguards. He stated, “Online age checks are a vital protection to prevent children from encountering inappropriate or harmful material, including pornography,” and noted that tech firms are expected to ensure checks are highly effective before launch to avoid risking children’s safety.

Non-compliance with the OSA can result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of a company’s annual global turnover, whichever is higher. This probe continues a series of conflicts between the regulator and one of the world’s most-visited adult sites. In January, Pornhub announced it would restrict access in the UK, criticizing the age verification requirements of the OSA as failing to protect minors and instead driving traffic to unregulated areas of the internet.

However, the company reversed course in May, announcing it would restore access for some UK users who had verified their age through the latest version of iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system.