Pornhub to Block UK Users Starting Next Month
▼ Summary
– Pornhub will block UK users who haven’t verified their age starting February 2nd, 2026, in response to the country’s Online Safety Act.
– The site’s owner, Aylo, criticizes the law, claiming it makes the internet more dangerous for children and harms user privacy.
– Aylo argues the regulation diverts traffic to unregulated sites and jeopardizes the personal data of UK citizens.
– Users who have already completed age verification via methods like ID upload will retain access by logging in.
– This follows similar actions in the US, where Pornhub blocked access in multiple states due to local age verification laws.
Pornhub will soon become inaccessible to most users in the United Kingdom, a direct result of the country’s new Online Safety Act. The site’s parent company, Aylo, announced it will implement a full block starting February 2nd, 2026, for anyone who has not completed its mandatory age verification process. This move marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between adult content platforms and governments implementing stricter digital regulations.
The company argues that the legislation, designed to protect minors online, is fundamentally flawed. In a public statement, Aylo contended that the Online Safety Act actually makes the internet more dangerous for children by pushing users toward unregulated and potentially riskier websites. The firm also asserts that the law’s requirements compromise user privacy and data security for adults across the UK.
To comply with the law, Pornhub had previously instituted several methods for UK users to confirm they are over 18. These options included uploading a government-issued ID, entering credit card details, or verifying through a mobile network provider. However, Aylo has now decided that operating under these rules is no longer tenable. The company stated it cannot participate in a system it believes fails to achieve its stated safety goals while simultaneously infringing on personal freedoms.
Only individuals who have already successfully verified their age through the existing system will retain access to the Pornhub platform after the February deadline. They will need to log in to confirm their verified status. This restriction will not be limited to Pornhub alone; the block will extend to all other adult sites under the Aylo umbrella, such as YouPorn and Redtube.
This is not the first time Pornhub has withdrawn service in protest of age verification laws. The platform has already disabled access in multiple U.S. states, including Texas, Florida, Utah, and Georgia, following the enactment of similar local legislation. The impending UK blockade represents one of the most widespread geographic restrictions the company has enacted to date, highlighting a growing global trend of regulatory challenges for the adult entertainment industry online.
(Source: The Verge)
