Brief
Aylo says UK age‑check rules push users to non‑compliant porn sites
The adult‑content company argues that platform‑level checks have failed and urges regulator Ofcom to adopt device‑level verification.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Aylo, the parent of Pornhub, says the United Kingdom's online age‑check enforcement has unintentionally boosted traffic to non‑compliant adult‑content sites, according to a statement shared with Biometric Update.
What happened
Aylo reports that after the Online Safety Act's age‑verification rules took effect on 25 July 2025, users increasingly turned to sites without age checks. The company cites search‑engine results showing non‑compliant sites appearing in the top ten results for queries like “free porn” on Google and Bing at various dates in 2025 and 2026.
What the reports add
Biometric Update notes that on 25 October 2025, five of the top ten Google results and four of Bing's were non‑compliant; on 25 March 2026 each engine returned six non‑compliant sites; on 4 June 2026 Google showed seven and Bing five; and as of 22 September 2026 each returned five non‑compliant sites. The outlet also references Ofcom’s six‑month report, which recorded a decline in compliant sites among the top 100, though the top ten sites by traffic still had age checks.
What was said
"Apple’s age verification could set a precedent for effective, privacy‑preserving online safety," Aylo VP of Brand and Community Alex Kekesi said, as reported by Biometric Update.
"Enforcement at scale has failed and has proven impossible," Kekesi added.
How it came about
Aylo says it has complied with the Online Safety Act since its start date, while many other operators have not. The company argues that platform‑level age checks increase data‑breach risk and can be bypassed with VPNs. It urges Ofcom to step up enforcement and adopt Apple’s device‑level age assurance, which Aylo has already implemented for its UK service.
Key facts
- Aylo claims UK age‑check enforcement has driven users to non‑compliant adult sites. (biometricupdate.com)
- Search results on Google and Bing showed non‑compliant sites in top‑10 positions on multiple dates in 2025‑2026. (biometricupdate.com)
- Aylo suggests Apple’s device‑level age verification as a better solution. (biometricupdate.com)
Sources
- [1] biometricupdate.com — originally reported as “Uneven age check enforcement has warped UK’s online adult content market: Aylo”
