Aylo, owner of Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube, will block new UK users from accessing its sites while allowing already-verified accounts to remain active, citing privacy and safety concerns with the UK’s age-verification rules. Regulators say the measures, introduced under the Online Safety Act in July 2025, appear to have reduced accidental exposure to porn — Pornhub reports a 77% traffic drop — though some research suggests adults may seek noncompliant sites and encounter riskier material. Ofcom has launched dozens of investigations and fined a provider, while the policy debate continues internationally over enforcement and privacy-preserving approaches to age assurance.
Pornhub Owner Blocks New UK Users, Says Age-Verification Rules Have Made Internet 'Less Safe'
The UK communications regulator Ofcom mandated age-verification on UK pornography websites including Pornhub on July 25, 2025. - Jack Taylor/Getty Images
Aylo, the company that owns Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube, has announced it will block access for new users in the United Kingdom from Monday, while allowing existing, already-verified account holders to continue using its services. Aylo said the UK’s new age-verification requirements have harmed user privacy and pushed people toward unregulated corners of the internet.
Background
The mandatory age-verification regime was introduced in July 2025 under the Online Safety Act with the stated goal of reducing children’s accidental exposure to pornographic content. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, reports widespread adoption among the country’s most-visited adult sites and says it has taken enforcement action where providers have failed to comply.
Traffic, VPNs and Safety Claims
Pornhub is the largest UK pornography service with 9.8 million monthly website visitors, according to Ofcom. - Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Pornhub has reported a 77% fall in traffic in the six months since the law took effect. Ofcom also noted that virtual private network (VPN) use to bypass geoblocks initially surged and then stabilised. Aylo argues that, based on its own data, the rules have instead made the internet “more dangerous for minors and adults” by diverting users to unregulated sites that do not carry out age checks and may host riskier or illegal material.
“In practice the framework has diverted traffic to darker, unregulated corners of the internet,” Aylo said in a statement, adding concerns about privacy and the handling of personal data under the new system.
Expert Views And Evidence
Experts and charities are divided. Some point to the large drop in Pornhub traffic and early research suggesting VPN use has not increased long term as signs the policy may be reducing accidental exposure. Ian Henderson, founder of the Naked Truth Project, said many people his charity helps reported encountering pornography accidentally, and that the fall in traffic is consistent with the policy achieving that aim.
Others warn of unintended consequences. An online poll by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which runs a hotline for people worried about pornography use, found 45% of respondents had visited noncompliant sites to avoid providing personal information; of those users, 39% said they had viewed content that made them uncomfortable. Critics also say some major operators may be framing their withdrawal as a public-relations strategy to challenge regulation.
(From L) Ethical Capital Partners' (ECP) Vice President of public engagement Sarah Bain, Canadian lawyer, co-founding partner of ECP and owner of adult Pornhub’s parent company Aylo Solomon Friedman, and Pornhub's head of community and brand Alexzandra Kekesi. - Joel Sagat/AFP/Getty Images
Regulatory Response And International Context
Ofcom says it has opened investigations into more than 80 pornographic websites and fined a provider £1 million, with further enforcement actions planned. The regulator added it will continue dialogue with Aylo to understand the company’s change of position.
Age verification is gaining traction beyond the UK: the European Commission has published an Age Verification Blueprint for member states, Canada is revisiting proposals to limit minors’ online exposure to pornography, and Australia will introduce stricter age checks for adult sites from March 9 as part of broader measures to protect young people online.
What’s Next
Aylo says it will continue to engage with the UK, the European Commission and other international partners to share lessons from the UK rollout. Regulators, advocacy groups and industry players now face the task of balancing child protection, robust enforcement and privacy-preserving age-assurance methods.
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