Pornhub Faces Backlash as Secret Loophole Exposes Flaws in UK’s New Porn Regulations

So, the UK just turned up the heat on adult websites with some seriously strict age verification rules—and folks are already plotting their great escape using VPNs. Pornhub and its pals like Stripchat and Jerkmate have agreed to play by the new Online Safety Act rulebook, demanding real ID uploads instead of the old, easy “I’m over 18” checkmark. But here’s the kicker: barely a day in, the tech-savvy crowd found a loophole, using VPNs to slip past these guards like digital ninjas—masking their IPs, hopping regions, and giving the system the slip. Pornhub’s waving a big red flag, begging users to resist the urge to game the system, but with VPN searches exploding, one has to wonder—is this a game-changer or just the start of a cat-and-mouse saga? And seriously, who knew age verification could stir up such a wild tech frenzy? LEARN MORE

Pornhub has urged people not to exploit an alleged loophole to get around the new rules surrounding adult content in the UK.

Searches for VPNs have spiked drastically in the days since the ‘highly effective’ age checks were brought in last week (25 July).

Adult websites including Pornhub, Stripchat and Jerkmate all agreed to comply with the stringent age verification process, which has been introduced under the Online Safety Act.

The UK government hope that the measures will prevent children from being subjected to potentially harmful content, while surfing the web and using social media.

Previously, most pornography sites only required users to click a button confirming they were over the age of 18, without requesting any proof of their maturity.

But accessing adult content has just got a whole lot harder, as people are now required to upload a document to verify their identity.

Less than 24 hours after the rules came into force on Friday, the tech-savvy among us revealed that they had already found a loophole to get around the age verification process.

Pornhub has issued a response after people claimed to have found a loophole to get around the age checks (Getty Stock Image)

People have claimed that Brits can easily bypass the age checks by using virtual private networks (VPNs) when browsing adult sites.

With a VPN, you can access parts of the internet which might be blocked in your region, as the service ‘masks your IP address, and lets you sidestep website blocks and firewalls on the internet’, according to Microsoft.

It can allow users to fool the software into thinking they are in another location, where these rules around getting onto porn sites aren’t in force.

Ofcom – who is responsible for enforcing the age checks – has already warned platforms not to host, share or permit content encouraging the use of VPNs, according to the BBC.

The government also said that under the Online Safety Act, it will be illegal for sites to do this, the outlet reported, while encouraging concerned parents to block the use of VPNs on devices.

Now, Pornhub has shared its own warning to users who are considering using the loophole to gain access to its website.

A spokesperson for the X-rated website told LADbible: “We certainly don’t recommend anyone tries to bypass the law.

“We have seen a lot of reporting on the spike in VPN usage in jurisdictions where age verification is mandated.”

Users now have to verify their identity before gaining access to the adult site (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

It is still too soon to tell what the impact the age checks have had on viewership in the UK, Pornhub said.

When similar rules around accessing pornography were brought in by the US state of Louisiana in 2023, there was a staggering 1150% in searches for VPNs, UNILAD Tech reported.

Pornhub’s parent company Aylo also told LADbible about why the changes to legislation are so important to abide by, while sharing some advice for parents wanting to protect their young children.

Alex Kekesi, who is the Brand and Community head at the firm, said: “We know that when people choose not to age verify, they do not stop looking for adult content, they migrate to those irresponsible platforms.

“We continue to believe that to make the internet safer for everyone, every phone, tablet or computer should start as a kid-safe device.

“Only verified adults should unlock access to things like dating apps, gambling, or adult content.

“This is the core premise of device- based age verification, which we believe is the safest and most effective option for protecting children and maintaining user privacy online.”