Pornhub'S Uk Block: A Bold Stand Against New Age Verification Laws

Pornhub Draws the Line in the UK

In a significant move, Pornhub, a top player in the adult content industry, has started blocking UK users who haven't verified their age. This comes on the heels of the Online Safety Act, which was rolled out in July 2025, requiring strict age checks on such platforms. While aimed at protecting minors, critics argue the law is easily bypassed by using virtual private networks (VPNs), raising questions about its effectiveness.

Aylo's Concerns and Compliance Goals

Aylo, the company behind Pornhub, has not held back in expressing its reservations about the Online Safety Act. They argue that these regulations might inadvertently steer users towards non-compliant sites, potentially exposing them to harmful or illegal content. From February 2, 2026, any UK user failing to verify their age will find themselves completely shut out of Pornhub.

“Our goal is not to increase sign-ups but to ensure we meet legal obligations,” Aylo has emphasized.

Nevertheless, some experts, including Clare McGlynn from Durham University, speculate that Pornhub's decision might be a tactical move to prompt political dialogue or boost registrations. Aylo and its parent, Ethical Capital Partners (ECP), firmly deny these suggestions, clarifying their compliance-focused intentions.

Traffic Takes a Hit

The introduction of these age checks has reportedly led to a steep 77% drop in UK traffic, according to Aylo. However, Ofcom's annual survey paints a slightly less drastic picture, noting a 31% decrease between July and August 2025. It's important to note that these figures might not account for users who bypass the restrictions using VPNs.

The VPN Effect

The precise number of VPN users in the UK is up in the air. As of October, Ofcom estimated that about a million users employ VPNs daily for general use. Cybernews adds to this, revealing over 10.7 million VPN app downloads on UK mobiles throughout 2025. Despite this, Internet Matters found no notable rise in first-time child users by December last year, which suggests the VPN trend is more prevalent among existing internet-savvy users.