Pornhub, one of the world's most visited adult websites, will begin restricting access for new users in the United Kingdom from today, February 2nd. This significant move comes as a direct response to the UK government's implementation of stringent age verification measures under the Online Safety Act, which the site's parent company claims has proven counterproductive to its stated goal of safeguarding minors.
A Controversial Crackdown on Adult Content
The Cyprus-based company Aylo, which owns Pornhub, announced that it will block new British users who have not previously verified their age. This decision follows the introduction of the Online Safety Act in July 2023, which established some of the most restrictive global rules for accessing online pornography. Since last summer, visitors to adult websites have been required to confirm they are over 18 through methods including providing credit card details, uploading photographic identification, or using facial age estimation technology via a selfie.
While these regulations were designed to create barriers preventing under-18s from viewing explicit material, Aylo argues they have inadvertently driven traffic toward "darker, unregulated corners of the internet." In a strongly worded statement, the company declared: "We cannot continue to operate within a system that, in our view, fails to deliver on its promise of child safety, and has had the opposite impact."
The Stated Failure of Protective Measures
Aylo contends that despite the clear legislative intent to restrict minors' access to adult content, the Online Safety Act has "failed to achieve that objective." The company's experience suggests the measures have not effectively protected children while imposing significant operational burdens on compliant platforms. Under the Act, online platform operators must prevent children from viewing harmful content, which includes not only pornography but also material promoting self-harm, suicide, dangerous challenges, serious violence, or hate speech.
Platforms found violating these provisions face severe penalties, including fines of up to £18 million or 10% of their global turnover. In extreme cases, companies may be blocked entirely from operating within the UK. Adult content providers have seven approved methods for age verification: photo-ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile-network operator checks, credit card verification, email-based age estimation, digital identity services, and open banking systems.
The Driving Concern: Children's Online Exposure
These legislative measures emerged in response to growing concerns about young children accessing disturbing or harmful content online. Research conducted last year by the charity Internet Matters revealed alarming statistics: seven in ten children aged nine to thirteen reported exposure to harmful content online. Within this age group, 13% encountered hate speech, 15% came across misinformation or disinformation, and one in ten viewed violent content or material promoting violence.
Similarly, Ofcom research indicated that 8% of UK children aged eight to fourteen visited a pornographic website at least once monthly. Professor Elena Martellozzo, European hub director at Childlight, described the initial impact of age verification as "a big win for child protection," noting: "For too long children have been just a click away from explicit material. Our latest data shows one in five children have seen sexual content they didn't want to in the past year."
Unintended Consequences and VPN Surge
Despite these protective intentions, the clampdown appears to have generated significant unintended consequences. When Pornhub revealed in October that it had lost 77% of its UK users following the new measures, this was celebrated by some child protection advocates. However, parallel data revealed a dramatic 700% spike in searches for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) at the end of July, suggesting thousands of British users sought technological workarounds to bypass the restrictions.
VPN services allow users to disguise their location, making it appear they are browsing from another country and thereby avoiding local age verification requirements. Harry Halpin, CEO of NymVPN, commented at the time: "We're already seeing people turn to VPNs in record numbers. The problem is, many are using free or untrustworthy VPN services that may expose them even more or leave them open to being spied on by foreign states."
Halpin further warned that centralized VPN technology could allow tech companies and foreign intelligence agencies to monitor search histories, including sexual preferences and access patterns. This creates new privacy vulnerabilities even as the regulations aim to enhance protection.
The Broader Context of Online Safety Legislation
The Online Safety Act 2023 represents a comprehensive legislative framework designed to protect both children and adults in digital spaces. It imposes new duties on social media companies and search services, making them more accountable for user safety on their platforms. Providers must implement systems and processes to reduce risks of illegal activity and promptly remove illegal content when it appears.
The Act's strongest protections are specifically crafted for children, requiring platforms to prevent access to harmful and age-inappropriate content while providing clear reporting mechanisms for problems. For adult users, major platforms must increase transparency about permitted content types and offer greater control over what individuals choose to view.
As Pornhub implements its restrictions for new UK users, it remains uncertain whether other adult websites will follow suit. This development highlights the complex balancing act between protecting minors online and maintaining functional, regulated access for adults, while avoiding the unintended consequence of driving users toward less secure, unregulated alternatives.
