Ofcom Probes Pornhub Owner Over UK Age Checks

Did Aylo skip due diligence on Apple's age signals or are device-level checks the strongest protection for kids?
Ofcom Probes Pornhub Owner Over UK Age Checks
Above: A photo illustration of Pornhub's age verification page displayed on a smartphone screen with the Union Jack in the background. Image credit: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Spin


Narrative A

Age checks work only if the company tests them before implementation. Instead, Aylo may have chosen third-party signals from Apple without due diligence, contravening the Online Safety Act, which requires service providers to assess their verification methods rigorously. With child safety and wellbeing at stake, Ofcom has no choice but to investigate.

Narrative B

Device-level age checks are the strongest possible protection, and Apple's U.K. update makes phones and tablets kid-safe by default instead of relying on every website worldwide to play along. Ofcom praised the move, and the U.K. government now wants to mandate it. Chasing individual sites only pushes adults toward VPNs and non-compliant sites, which protects nobody.

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.16.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.16.0