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Starting from 2 February, Pornhub will limit access to its website for users in the UK who have not completed mandatory age verification. This move comes as the platform responds to the requirements set out by the Online Safety Act, which came into effect in July 2025 and mandates stricter age checks on adult content websites. Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, has expressed concerns that this legislation has unintentionally pushed users toward less regulated websites, potentially increasing their exposure to harmful or illegal material.
Critics of the law highlight an ongoing issue with enforcement: users can bypass age verification by using virtual private networks (VPNs), allowing them to mask their location and evade UK-specific restrictions. This challenge has raised questions about the effectiveness of the age verification system. Aylo claims that the inability of the law to fully protect children online is partly why they are restricting UK access unless users verify their age. However, some experts question whether this restriction is truly motivated by child protection concerns or if it serves other purposes.
Legal academic Professor Clare McGlynn from Durham University suggests the announced date for restrictions could be a strategic way to encourage public and political debate. She believes that Pornhub’s pattern of blocking access in several US states after similar age verification laws were introduced is a way to create political pressure to revisit or amend these regulations. Nevertheless, Aylo representatives have denied that their UK restrictions aim to increase user registrations. Alex Kekesi, Aylo’s head of community and brand, emphasized that the company is voluntarily reducing its traffic with this move, inadvertently benefiting other adult sites that do not comply with age verification rules.
The use of VPNs remains a significant obstacle in enforcing these restrictions and age checks. According to Ofcom, VPN usage in the UK more than doubled following the introduction of age verification laws, although it declined somewhat after a peak in August but stayed above pre-legislation levels. Aylo’s Solomon Friedman suggested the responsibility of verifying age might be better handled by device manufacturers like Apple or Google, potentially providing a more effective barrier. Meanwhile, social media expert Matt Navarra speculates that Pornhub’s UK site restrictions could be a tactic to create a “legal firewall” that helps the company avoid regulatory burdens while maintaining access to valuable user traffic
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