Pornhub'S Parent Company Urges Tech Giants To Step Up Device-Level Age Verification

Aylo Calls Out Apple, Google, and Microsoft

The parent company of adult entertainment giant Pornhub, Aylo, is pushing tech behemoths Apple, Google, and Microsoft to integrate age verification directly into the devices they sell in the UK. This plea comes as existing age checks remain inconsistent, leaving children vulnerable to accessing adult content online. Aylo asserts that a unified system would provide a more comprehensive solution compared to the current website-specific approaches.

Since the Digital Economy Act of 2017, sites have started adopting individual age checks, but the measures aren't foolproof. Aylo's chief legal officer, Anthony Penhale, argues for a device-level verification that would pass an "age signal" to websites, eliminating the need for sensitive personal data like IDs or selfies to be shared site-by-site.

“A device-based system would be both more effective and respect user privacy better than current methods,” Aylo's representative emphasized.

The Push for Device-Level Age Assurance

Aylo envisions a future where operating systems perform a one-time age verification, using account data or third-party credentials without disclosing user identities. This binary or age-range signal could help apps and websites assess whether users meet age thresholds, such as 16+ or 18+, reducing the risk for data breaches.

Existing tools like Apple's Screen Time, Google's Family Link, and Microsoft's Family Safety already offer similar controls, and expanding these into a standardized age verification system could streamline processes for content publishers. However, Aylo's proposal isn't without challenges, including household device sharing and jurisdictional differences in minimum age requirements.

Challenges and Next Steps

While regulators aim to curtail youth exposure to adult content, handing over age verification to tech giants could lead to new complications. Policymakers must weigh the potential for anti-competitive practices and ensure transparent and nondiscriminatory systems.

Future efforts might focus on pilot programs that test privacy-preserving age verification, grounding decisions in data that show fewer minors accessing inappropriate content without over-restricting adults or increasing surveillance. If successful, these pilots could guide regulators toward more cohesive models, but until then, the current patchwork of site-based mandates and resulting legal chaos is likely to continue.