UK Regulator Investigates Pornhub Over Concerns Children Can Still Access the Site

The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, has opened an investigation into Pornhub, one of the world's most visited websites, over concerns that its age-verification measures may not be effective enough to prevent children from accessing the platform.

Ofcom said the site's current age-checking regime may not meet the "highly effective" standard required under the UK's Online Safety Act, legislation designed to impose stricter obligations on platforms hosting sexually explicit or otherwise harmful content to ensure users under the age of 18 cannot access it.

The Online Safety Act, which has been progressively enforced by Ofcom since its passage, requires platforms carrying adult content to implement robust age-verification technology, such as facial age estimation or identity document checks, rather than relying on simple self-declaration of age. Regulators have signaled they intend to take a firm approach toward platforms found to fall short of these requirements.

If Ofcom's investigation concludes that Pornhub's age-checking systems do not meet the required standard, the platform could face enforcement action, which under the Online Safety Act can include significant fines calculated as a percentage of global revenue, or measures to restrict access to the site within the UK in more serious cases.

The investigation adds Pornhub to a growing list of platforms facing scrutiny under the UK's expanding online safety regulatory regime, as the country continues to test how the new law applies to major global websites operating across jurisdictions. Pornhub's parent company has not yet issued a detailed public response to the investigation.