Ofcom has opened an investigation into Aylo, the company that owns Pornhub, over concerns that its new age-verification system may not effectively prevent children in the UK from accessing pornography. The regulator is examining whether Aylo carried out sufficient due diligence and testing before introducing the system, as required under the Online Safety Act.

The process uses a third party, Apple, to verify the age of some users, but Ofcom’s investigation will focus on Aylo’s implementation rather than Apple’s checks. Pornographic websites must use highly effective age assurance, and companies that fail to comply can be fined up to £18 million or 10% of their global annual turnover, whichever is higher. The investigation follows Pornhub’s temporary withdrawal from the UK in January and its partial return in May for eligible Apple users.