https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy27q05gj2o
Pornhub's parent company Aylo says it will be making the site available again for some UK users.
The company behind the world's best-known porn site limited access for most UK users in February - only permitting those who had previously registered with Pornhub and verified their age.
It said Online Safety Act (OSA) age verification rules for porn and other adult sites had not been evenly or fairly applied across the industry, and it would no longer take part in what it said it was a flawed system.
But on Tuesday Pornhub's owners said Apple users who had confirmed their age with the company's most up-to-date version of iOS, its mobile operating system, would be allowed back onto the site.
This is because the latest version of iOS introduces age checks for UK iPhone users, as well as for iPads running on up-to-date iterations of its own operating system, iPadOS.
Aylo has long argued that so-called device-level checks, of the sort Apple has brought in, are the best way to stop young people accessing explicit content.
"With the release of iOS 26.4 Apple has introduced the world's first ever device-based age verification solution for its users in the UK, a major first step towards a global solution that stands to better protect children everywhere," said Alex Kekesi, head of community and brand at Aylo.
"As a result, today Aylo welcomes eligible age-confirmed UK iOS users back to Pornhub."
This partial U-turn is the latest example of how Pornhub has been affected by the OSA.
In October 2025 it said traffic from UK users had plunged by more than 75% following the introduction of more robust age checks - though some have questioned whether people were simply using VPNs instead.
Four months later, that was followed by Aylo effectively barring new UK users from the site.
Since then people trying to get on Pornhub in the UK have been met with "safe for work" content rather than explicit videos.
Kekesi said Aylo had been in touch with the regulator Ofcom, which enforces the OSA, about how it would comply with the UK's age check rules.
"We remain in close contact with Aylo, and will carefully scrutinise these changes," an Ofcom spokesperson said.
But they added the responsibility to prevent children accessing porn in the UK "falls firmly on sites and apps".
"Services can implement age checks at device account level, but they must be confident they can demonstrate to Ofcom their process is highly effective, and be ready to provide us with detailed information on this when we demand it."
Apple's UK age checks
Apple unveiled the updates to its operating system in March.
Since then, iPhone users in the UK have been prompted to complete Apple's age checks.
It confirms whether a user is over 18 by looking at how long they have had an Apple account, using information from their connected payment methods or by scanning their ID.
The company's voluntary measures were praised by Ofcom as a "real win" in strengthening child safety online.
However, some users subsequently complained they could not initially prove their age through the system without a credit card or driver's licence.
Apple recently updated a support page, external to say documents supported for UK verification now include passports.
Campaign group Big Brother Watch has also called on the company to remove its measures, external, saying they are a "chokehold on Britons' freedom to search the internet".
Its director Silkie Carlo said in March that by blocking sites, content or app downloads for those who cannot or do not want to prove their age, Apple was effectively leaving millions of people in the UK with a "child's device".
Pornhub's parent company Aylo says it will be making the site available again for some UK users.
The company behind the world's best-known porn site limited access for most UK users in February - only permitting those who had previously registered with Pornhub and verified their age.
It said Online Safety Act (OSA) age verification rules for porn and other adult sites had not been evenly or fairly applied across the industry, and it would no longer take part in what it said it was a flawed system.
But on Tuesday Pornhub's owners said Apple users who had confirmed their age with the company's most up-to-date version of iOS, its mobile operating system, would be allowed back onto the site.
This is because the latest version of iOS introduces age checks for UK iPhone users, as well as for iPads running on up-to-date iterations of its own operating system, iPadOS.
Aylo has long argued that so-called device-level checks, of the sort Apple has brought in, are the best way to stop young people accessing explicit content.
"With the release of iOS 26.4 Apple has introduced the world's first ever device-based age verification solution for its users in the UK, a major first step towards a global solution that stands to better protect children everywhere," said Alex Kekesi, head of community and brand at Aylo.
"As a result, today Aylo welcomes eligible age-confirmed UK iOS users back to Pornhub."
This partial U-turn is the latest example of how Pornhub has been affected by the OSA.
In October 2025 it said traffic from UK users had plunged by more than 75% following the introduction of more robust age checks - though some have questioned whether people were simply using VPNs instead.
Four months later, that was followed by Aylo effectively barring new UK users from the site.
Since then people trying to get on Pornhub in the UK have been met with "safe for work" content rather than explicit videos.
Kekesi said Aylo had been in touch with the regulator Ofcom, which enforces the OSA, about how it would comply with the UK's age check rules.
"We remain in close contact with Aylo, and will carefully scrutinise these changes," an Ofcom spokesperson said.
But they added the responsibility to prevent children accessing porn in the UK "falls firmly on sites and apps".
"Services can implement age checks at device account level, but they must be confident they can demonstrate to Ofcom their process is highly effective, and be ready to provide us with detailed information on this when we demand it."
Apple's UK age checks
Apple unveiled the updates to its operating system in March.
Since then, iPhone users in the UK have been prompted to complete Apple's age checks.
It confirms whether a user is over 18 by looking at how long they have had an Apple account, using information from their connected payment methods or by scanning their ID.
The company's voluntary measures were praised by Ofcom as a "real win" in strengthening child safety online.
However, some users subsequently complained they could not initially prove their age through the system without a credit card or driver's licence.
Apple recently updated a support page, external to say documents supported for UK verification now include passports.
Campaign group Big Brother Watch has also called on the company to remove its measures, external, saying they are a "chokehold on Britons' freedom to search the internet".
Its director Silkie Carlo said in March that by blocking sites, content or app downloads for those who cannot or do not want to prove their age, Apple was effectively leaving millions of people in the UK with a "child's device".
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