Britain’s media regulator, Ofcom, has officially launched a formal investigation into Aylo, the parent company of adult entertainment platform Pornhub, to assess whether its current age-checking mechanisms are preventing minors from viewing explicit content.

The regulatory scrutiny centres on a mechanism introduced in May, which allowed certain UK users on Apple devices to access the site by relying on the tech giant’s built-in age-verification framework. Under the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), commercial pornographic sites are legally mandated to deploy highly robust and effective age assurance tools.

However, Ofcom has expressed sharp concern that Aylo may have rolled out the system without conducting adequate preliminary testing and due diligence, potentially leaving children vulnerable to exposure.

The watchdog clarified that its inquiry is directed entirely at Aylo’s implementation choices, rather than assessing Apple’s underlying operating system. George Lusty, Ofcom’s Director of Enforcement, emphasised that strict controls are non-negotiable.

 “Online age checks are a vital protection to prevent children from encountering inappropriate or harmful material, including pornography,” he said.

“We expect tech firms to ensure age checks are highly effective before introducing them. Anything less could leave children at risk.”

In response, Aylo has defended its approach, arguing that provides exceptionally strong privacy-preserving protection and pointing out that Ofcom previously lauded similar innovations. The company has also previously criticised strict legal mandates for inadvertently driving traffic toward darker, unregulated corners of the web.

Nevertheless, Aylo confirmed it will cooperate fully with the probe.

If found in violation of the Online Safety Act, Aylo faces substantial regulatory penalties, including severe website blocking measures or financial or 10% of its total global annual turnover, whichever is greater.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/investigation-into-aylos-compliance-with-the-duty-to-prevent-children-from-encountering-pornographic-content-through-the-use-of-age-assurance

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