UK investigation into children still being able to access Pornhub

Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has launched an investigation into a problem concerning children still being able to access Pornhub, one of the world's leading pornography websites. Ofcom points out that although strict measures should be taken to prevent children under 18 from viewing sexual content according to internet safety laws, Pornhub's current age verification methods may not be sufficiently effective.

This investigation specifically focuses on Pornhub's use of Apple's age verification process to confirm users' ages. Although new users were initially blocked from accessing the website in response to the UK's new Online Safety Act, Pornhub later decided in May to allow access only to users who had verified their age as 18 or over through Apple devices. However, Ofcom recently emphasized that it is the responsibility of the relevant service provider to ensure that any age verification process operates at a very high standard.

If this investigation confirms that Aylo, the website's parent company, has violated the relevant laws, they face the risk of a fine of £18 million or 10% of the company's global revenue, whichever is greater. Commenting on this, Alex Kekesi, Vice President of Brands and Community at Aylo, stated that his company would provide full cooperation for this investigation. He further added that he expects Ofcom to conclude that Apple's age verification method is a very robust system that is difficult to bypass.