Key facts
- Pornhub has resumed service in Australia following the implementation of age verification.
- The site blocked Australian users in March due to online safety codes requiring age checks.
- Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, cited concerns about protecting minors and data privacy.
- Pornhub's return is contingent on users verifying their age through Apple's new iOS features.
- Apple's age verification can be done via credit card, government ID scan, or by checking existing account information.
Pornhub has resumed operations in Australia after implementing age verification measures through Apple's iOS device-level features. The adult website had previously blocked Australian users in March, citing concerns that the country's online safety codes, which mandate age verification or risk substantial fines, would not adequately protect minors and could create data privacy risks.
Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, stated that Apple's approach sets a benchmark for child safety by making devices kid-safe by default until users verify they are adults. Alex Kekesi, Aylo's vice-president for brand and community, announced the site's return on Wednesday, emphasizing that Apple's system is one of the strongest and hardest-to-circumvent protections available. Kekesi urged Apple to expand this feature globally and encouraged Microsoft and Google to adopt similar measures.
Apple's new age checks, rolled out in Australia last month, allow users to verify their age using a credit card, scanning a passport or driver's license, or by reviewing existing account information like the credit card on file or account tenure. Content filtering and download restrictions are in place until age verification is completed.
When access was initially blocked, Australia's eSafety commissioner noted it was a business decision for Aylo. The sex worker advocacy group Scarlet Alliance expressed concerns that the age verification requirements could negatively impact platforms hosting advertisements for their services and lead to over-filtering of content, including sexual health information.
Meanwhile, the UK's media regulator, Ofcom, is investigating the effectiveness of Pornhub's age assurance process in the UK, citing concerns about potential insufficient due diligence and testing. Aylo has stated it will cooperate fully with this investigation.