Pornhub's parent company Aylo announced it will restrict access for new users in the UK from February 2, citing concerns over the nation's Online Safety Act age-verification requirements. Existing users who have already verified their ages will retain access. The move protests what Aylo calls a flawed system that pushes users toward unregulated sites.
Pornhub, the world's largest adult website, will become unavailable to new users across most of the United Kingdom starting February 2, 2026. The decision comes from its parent company, Aylo, which argues that the UK's Online Safety Act imposes ineffective age-verification mandates that endanger user privacy and safety.
The Online Safety Act's Protection of Children Codes, which took effect last summer, require adult sites to implement "highly effective" methods of age verification. Aylo contends that these rules are backfiring, driving both adults and minors to noncompliant porn sites that skip verification and content moderation. As reported by Politico, Aylo's lawyers have emphasized that only device-based verification adequately protects user data.
Alexzandra Kekesi, Aylo's vice president of brand and community, explained the implications: "anyone who has not gone through that process prior to February 2 will no longer be able to access [the sites] and they're going to be met with a wall," according to 404 Media. Users with pre-existing verified accounts will continue to access the site without interruption.
This action mirrors Pornhub's responses to similar laws in various US states, where it blocked access to protest privacy risks. Aylo stated at the time: "These people did not stop looking for porn. They just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don’t ask users to verify age, that don’t follow the law, that don’t take user safety seriously, and that often don’t even moderate content."
In the UK, users often bypass such restrictions using VPNs, though the government is considering bans on VPNs for children. Broader proposals include a social media ban for those under 16, akin to Australia's policy, reflecting ongoing efforts to safeguard minors online.
