Pornhub blocks access in UK over age verification law
What's the story
Pornhub, one of the world's leading adult content platforms, has started restricting access for users in the UK. The move comes as a response to the Online Safety Act introduced in July 2025, which requires websites to implement strict age verification measures. However, critics have argued that the law can be easily bypassed using a virtual private network (VPN).
Company stance
Aylo's concerns about the Online Safety Act
Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, has voiced concerns over the Online Safety Act. The company believes that the law has pushed users toward non-compliant sites and increased their exposure to dangerous or illegal content. Starting February 2, 2026, users who haven't verified their age will be completely blocked from accessing Pornhub in the UK.
Speculation
Speculation surrounding Pornhub's strategy
Some experts have speculated that Pornhub's decision could be a strategy to increase user registrations. Clare McGlynn, a law researcher at Durham University, suggested that the company may be trying to provoke political action with this move. However, Aylo and its owner Ethical Capital Partners (ECP) have denied these claims, insisting their intention isn't to drive sign-ups but rather comply with legal requirements.
Traffic drop
Decline in UK traffic to Pornhub
Aylo has previously claimed that the introduction of age checks led to a whopping 77% drop in UK traffic to its site. However, Ofcom's annual survey suggests a more moderate decline of 31% between July and August 2025, just after the age check rules were enforced. Notably, this decline doesn't account for users employing VPNs to bypass these checks.
VPN prevalence
VPN usage in the UK
The exact number of people using VPNs in the UK remains unclear. Ofcom reported in October that around a million people use them for general purposes every day. Cybernews researchers recorded over 10.7 million downloads of VPN apps on UK mobile devices alone throughout 2025. Despite the rise, Internet Matters found no significant spike in first-time users among children as of December last year.
Legal maneuvering
'Legal firewall' theory gains traction
Social media expert Matt Navara has suggested that Pornhub's decision to restrict UK access could be a way of creating a "legal firewall" against restrictions. He said it allows the platform to avoid some regulations, save costs, and still get traffic from users they can't see anymore. Despite the law coming into effect in July 2025, not all porn services in the UK have implemented age checks yet.