Pornhub will stop new users in the UK from accessing its site from 2 February, citing mandatory age checks introduced under the Online Safety Act (OSA) in July 2025. The move also affects YouPorn and RedTube, all owned by Cyprus-based Aylo.
The company reported a 77% drop in UK traffic since the age checks began, enforced by Ofcom. Alex Kekesi, Aylo's vice-president, said the firm would 'no longer participate in the failed system', arguing it drives users to unregulated sites and compromises privacy.
Ofcom data shows Pornhub's UK visitors fell from 11.3 million in August 2024 to 9.8 million in August 2025. Meanwhile, VPN usage more than doubled after the checks were introduced, peaking at 1.4 million users in mid-August before declining to 900,000 in December.
An Ofcom spokesperson said porn services must either implement age checks or block UK access, adding that 68 of the top 100 porn sites have already deployed such measures. The regulator has launched investigations into over 80 sites and fined one provider £1 million.
