Adult entertainment site Pornhub will implement stricter age verification checks from next month, its parent company Aylo has confirmed.

The decision follows a directive from UK regulator Ofcom, which has set a deadline of July 2025 for platforms hosting adult content to introduce highly effective age assurance measures.

These requirements fall under the Online Safety Act and are intended to prevent children from accessing explicit material online.

Under the new rules, websites must verify user age through methods such as ID photo checks, credit card verification, mobile network age checks and facial age estimation.

Aylo, which owns Pornhub along with platforms including Stripchat and Streamate, stated that it will adopt “government-approved age assurance methods” but has not yet specified how users will be required to prove they are over 18.

Ofcom is overseeing the implementation of the new regulations and has warned that non-compliant platforms could face substantial fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of global revenue.

At present, many adult websites rely on users simply clicking a button to confirm their age, an approach that UK media regulator Ofcom has deemed inadequate.

Ofcom previously welcomed the regulations, stating that “it would bring online pornography into line with how we treat adult services in the real world”, according to the BBC.

Pornhub, the most visited adult website in the UK according to Similarweb, has faced international scrutiny over its safety measures.

In May, the European Commission launched an investigation into the platform and others regarding child safety concerns.

Earlier this month, Pornhub ceased operations in France in response to a new law requiring more stringent age verification for users accessing adult content online.

Alex Kekesi, the company's vice-president of brand and community, criticised the French government's insistence on site-based age verification, describing the system as ‘ineffective, invasive and a threat to users’ privacy’.

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