Escape from the system: Pornhub is ending British age controls

It is an unusual capitulation to a law that was actually planned as the gold standard for youth protection online. Aylo, the parent company of services like Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has officially announced the end of its cooperation with the British Online Safety Act. From February 2nd, the company will massively restrict access for new users from the United Kingdom.

Anyone who does not have an account by then and has undergone age verification will be denied access. This marks the end of a six-month experiment in which the company has bowed to British age verification requirements.

According to Aylo, the attempt has not only failed but has actually made the internet more dangerous for minors. Aylo's explanation reads like a complete indictment of the regulatory authority Ofcom. For Pornhub brand manager Alex Kekesi, the law has missed its goal. Instead of protecting children, the obligation to verify age has led to users migrating en masse to unregulated, often particularly dubious platforms.

Initially, Aylo played along: Ofcom consulted with industry stakeholders, it was stated in July. The regulator had presented "a range of flexible age assurance methods that are less intrusive than those we have seen in other jurisdictions." This had inspired confidence.

Dark Corners of the Web

Nothing remains of the initial goodwill. Large players like Pornhub have implemented strict moderation rules and verification processes for uploaders, Aylo complains. Meanwhile, however, thousands of providers who carry out no controls whatsoever continue to flourish in the search results for "Free Porn." These "dark corners" of the web are now the first port of call for young people and adults who shy away from age checks, the company warns.

Aylo criticizes that the state-imposed controls lead to the accumulation of enormous amounts of confidential user data, which endangers the privacy of British citizens. The company sees itself in an unfair position: as a responsible market leader, it adheres to rules, while competitors attract users who want to remain anonymous without consequences. Online activists also confirm that age controls do not stop curious teenagers but merely drive them to riskier research paths or VPN services.

However, observers suspect that behind Aylo's moral facade of youth protection there is also a marketing strategy. The deadline of February 2nd seems like an artificial scarcity. Those who quickly secure an account will retain access. A perfect incentive to quickly boost user numbers in the UK. It is also not the first time Aylo has taken this approach. In several US states, the platform has preferred to cease operations rather than engage in bureaucratic control mechanisms.

Controversial Filters in Operating Systems

Another point of Aylo's strategy is the call for device-based solutions. Instead of burdening each individual website with the responsibility for age verification, the company has long advocated for anchoring youth protection directly in the operating system of smartphones and tablets.

Apple has already shown with iOS 26.1 that content filters at the operating system level are harder to circumvent than website blocks. However, such filters come with their own problems, such as overblocking. Aylo conveniently ignores this.

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