Inside Pornhub’s Shocking Demands to Bypass the UK’s Strict New Porn Laws

So, Pornhub—and a bunch of other UK adult sites—have decided that from July 25th onward, only the over-18s get the golden ticket to their digital playgrounds. Yep, thanks to the new Online Safety Act, you’re now required to jump through some legit age verification hoops before you can indulge. Ofcom’s got their eyes peeled, and over a dozen platforms have agreed to play by these fresh rules, aiming to keep kids far, far away from any naughtiness online. It’s kind of like porn going through airport security—no fake IDs or clever dodges this time. Pornhub even throws a polite little warning your way, nudging you to verify your age via one of four different methods. Curious which sites made the list and what these verification rituals look like? Dive in and see if your usual haunt is among the crowd. LEARN MORE

Pornhub is just one of the many UK porn websites who have made it so only adults can enter their page.

From today (25 July) onwards, there are new age verification checks across a number of Britain’s most popular websites.

Safety regulator Ofcom said last month that more than a dozen sites that allow users to upload adult film videos have agreed to comply.

Known as the Online Safety Act, it has been designed to stop children from viewing pornographic images and videos.

“These age checks will bring pornography into line with how we treat adult services in the real world, without compromising access and privacy for over-18s,” said Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s group director of online safety.

When it comes to Pornhub, the biggest website for porn in the world, they have provided a warning message upon entry, in line with the new rules.

When you go onto the website it prompts you ‘to verify that you are 18 or older, in line with the UK Online Safety Act’.

And there are four ways you can verify your age on Pornhub.

Four ways to verify your age on Pornhub

A number of porn websites in the UK now adhering to new verification rules upon entry (Getty Stock Images)

Create an account

Perhaps the easiest way to verify your age is to create an account by using your email address to sign up for free.

They explained that ’email-based age estimation is listed as capable of being highly-effective’, adding: “The user must validate ownership of their email address via a link sent to their inbox.”

Put in credit card details

If you put in your credit card number, CVV, expiry date, name and billing address, Pornhub will trigger a £0 authorisation.

“Per Ofcom’s guidance on highly effective age assurance measures, in the UK individuals must be over 18 to obtain a credit card, therefore credit card issuers are obliged to verify the age of applicants before providing them with a credit card,” the website reads.

The new rules have come into force today (Pornhub)

Verify via mobile network

Pornhub explains that, for this to work, ‘the user must enter their mobile phone number and is then sent an SMS text message using a one time password (OTP) to prove their possession of the device associated with the mobile number’.

By using SIM registration and account data, they are able to confirm that the mobile is assigned to an adult.