LONDON—Ofcom, the United Kingdom's digital regulator, announced on Wednesday that it has opened a new regulatory investigation into Aylo's flagship adult website, Pornhub.com.
The regulator justified the investigation by claiming that it needs to determine whether Aylo's age checks implemented through device-based age assurance on Apple iOS devices, like an iPhone or iPad, are "highly effective" in preventing minors from accessing adult content.
George Lusty, the director of enforcement at Ofcom, said in a press statement that this investigation will uncover if Aylo is in violation of the country's sweeping Online Safety Act of 2023.
"Online age checks are a vital protection to prevent children from encountering inappropriate or harmful material, including pornography," Lusty said. "We expect tech firms to ensure age checks are highly effective before introducing them. Anything less could leave children at risk."
According to Ofcom, the initial assessment the agency conducted showed no clear indicator as to whether Aylo "has complied with its duties to prevent children from encountering pornographic content." As AVN previously reported, Aylo integrated with Apple devices to receive age signals between the device and actual website.
Apple introduced one of the world's first-ever built-in device-legel age verification solutions for its U.K. users with the release of iOS update 26.4 in late March 2026. Over 50 percent of the mobile phone market in the United Kingdom is held by the tech giant, with millions of users identified as adults over the age of 18.
Despite this, Ofcom is not sold as to whether the porn giant met all obligations to ensure that minors are prevented from accessing Aylo’s websites through U.K.-based Apple devices.
"Providers must also carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of whether their service is likely to be accessed by children," notes the Ofcom statement. "They must do this before making any significant change to the design or operation of their service, or in response to evidence about reduced effectiveness of age checks."
Ofcom adds, "We are concerned that Aylo may not have conducted sufficient due diligence and testing before implementing its new age assurance process. As a result, we are concerned that Aylo’s process may not be highly effective at preventing children from seeing pornography."
A spokesperson for Aylo told AVN in response to Ofcom's claims that the regulator is mistaken. Of note, Ofcom is on record praising Apple's device-level age verification approach, saying that it was an innovation spurred by the Online Safety Act's royal ascension and adoption itself. Now, the tune is different as it now involves inquiries into Aylo.
"Four months following our successful launch of age verification on Pornhub for eligible adult users in the U.K. who have confirmed their age through Apple’s U.K. age-verification process, Ofcom informed us that they were launching an investigation into our use of Apple’s age assurance in the United Kingdom," shared Alex Kekesi, the vice president of brand and community for Aylo, in a separate statement.
"We are committed to working constructively with Ofcom and Apple in our shared commitment to child protection," Kekesi added. "Aylo is prepared to provide the technical evidence, testing and supporting assessments on which that position is based. Aylo will cooperate fully with the investigation and looks forward to engaging with the case team."
Apple, one of the largest technology firms in the world with a market capitalization valued at $4.9 trillion, did not return AVN's requests for comment. With Ofcom investigating Aylo's adoption of age-signals, the regulator by extension is investigating the effectiveness of Apple’s own age assurance technology.
"If our investigation finds that a company has broken the law, we can require platforms to take specific steps to come into compliance or to remedy harm caused by the breach," Ofcom said. "We can also impose fines of up to £18 million (nearly $24 million) or 10 percent of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater."
Corey Silverstein, a U.S.-based attorney specializing in adult entertainment industry clientele, told AVN that this development is an "important" lesson for other adult companies.
"What is particularly noteworthy here is that Pornhub apparently did implement age assurance, but Ofcom is questioning whether Aylo conducted sufficient due diligence and testing before relying on age signals provided through Apple," Silverstein observed. "That said, the message from Ofcom to the broader adult industry is becoming increasingly clear: simply deploying an age-verification solution is not necessarily enough. Operators serving U.K. users should be prepared to demonstrate why their chosen technology satisfies the ‘highly effective’ standard" under the Online Safety Act.
He concluded, "I also think this investigation raises a much larger issue for the technology industry. If platforms cannot reasonably rely upon age-assurance signals generated by major technology companies and device ecosystems, we risk creating a fragmented system in which consumers are repeatedly required to prove their age to individual websites. That has obvious consequences for privacy, data minimization and the overall practicality of online age assurance."
Fuente: avn.com
