The UK is investigating Pornhub. Heres what Pornhub says about it.

The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, has launched an investigation into the most well-known tube site, Pornhub .

The investigation , which opened Sept.

22 and was publicly announced yesterday, is under the country's age-verification law, the Online Safety Act.

It requires explicit websites (and some non-explicit websites that contain content that is deemed "restricted to adults," such as about addiction) to install robust age checks that require inputting personal data, like a government ID, to pass.

SEE ALSO: Pornhub viewers left in droves to see Apple's foldable iPhone The Online Safety Act went into effect in July 2025, and Pornhub stated ahead of the enactment that it would comply with the law .

But in Jan.

2026, Pornhub stated that it would restrict access to unverified users due to the Online Safety Act's failures, including the presence of noncompliant sites.

In May, however, Pornhub restored access for any adult who confirms their age through Apple's UK age-verification process — a new capability as of iOS 26.4.

This process is device-level age-verification , which is what Pornhub and other industry leaders have been calling for for years.

Rather than verifying age each time someone wants to visit a certain website (which might mean repeatedly uploading sensitive information), device-level verification is one-time only and takes place on (in this case) one's iPhone.

Advocates for device-level age verification state that it's less invasive and risky from a privacy and security standpoint.

And, it doesn't impede free speech rights , advocates say.

A 'welcome' investigation Now, Ofcom will investigate Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, to determine whether it has complied with the Online Safety Act.

Specifically, Ofcom will look into whether Pornhub uses highly effective age assurance to prevent children from seeing porn, and it will also conduct a children's access assessment.