World

UK media regulator investigates Pornhub over age checks

By Sam Tobin

Sep 23, 2026

A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney — Britain requires platforms to do age checks to prevent ‌under-18s accessing pornographic ‌content. -AAP Image

Britain's media regulator Ofcom ‌is investigating whether adult content platform Pornhub has complied ‌with its legal duties to prevent children seeing pornography.

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Under Britain's Online Safety Act, platforms are required to put in place age checks to prevent ‌under-18s accessing pornographic ‌content.

Aylo, ⁠the service provider of Pornhub, said in May that Pornhub would rely on iPhone maker Apple's age-verification process to verify that users are over 18.

Ofcom said it was "concerned that Aylo may ⁠not have conducted sufficient ‌due diligence and testing before implementing its new age-assurance process".

Aylo did ‌not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Our investigation will not make a determination on how Apple operates its age checks," Ofcom said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ofcom has the power to ‌fine a business up to Stg18 million ($A34 million) or 10 per cent of its qualifying worldwide revenue, or block non-compliant sites.

It has already levied fines on adult content platforms totalling more than Stg1 million over age ⁠check failures.