Ofcom Investigates Pornhub's Age Checks
UK regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into Pornhub owner Aylo concerning the effectiveness of its new age verification measures. The probe aims to determine if the system adequately prevents children from accessing adult content.
The UK's media regulator, Ofcom, has initiated a formal investigation into Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub. The investigation will examine whether the website's recently implemented age verification processes are sufficiently effective in preventing children from accessing adult material.
Ofcom stated in May that Pornhub had introduced a new age verification system for some users, which relies on a third-party provider, Apple. The regulator has expressed concerns that Aylo "may not have conducted sufficient due diligence and testing" prior to implementing this new process, potentially rendering it "not highly effective" in preventing minors from viewing pornography.
Under the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA), sites hosting pornographic content are mandated to employ highly effective age assurance measures to verify user age. Ofcom will scrutinize how Aylo has implemented its age verification procedures and assess whether adequate due diligence was performed before its rollout.
The investigation will specifically focus on Aylo's procedures and will not extend to Apple's own age-checking mechanisms. Non-compliance with the OSA can result in substantial fines for companies, potentially reaching up to £18 million or 10% of their global annual turnover, whichever is greater. This probe marks the latest regulatory action concerning one of the world's most visited adult websites.