Pornhub Resumes Service in Australia Limited to Apple‑Device Users Who Pass Age Verification

Pornhub is back in Australia after an eight‑month hiatus caused by age‑verification regulations, though access is restricted to adult users of Apple devices.

On Wednesday, Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, announced that it is restoring access for eligible adult users in Australia who have verified their age via Apple’s Australian age‑verification system.

In March, the site withdrew from Australia, arguing that the new legislation mandating proof of being over 18 fails to safeguard minors and instead introduces data‑privacy risks while pushing users toward non‑compliant platforms.

Apple recently launched its age‑verification feature in Australia, after a similar rollout in the United Kingdom.

Earlier in March, Australia enacted tighter regulations that compel users to confirm they are over 18 before accessing adult material, including pornography, R‑rated video games and sexually explicit AI chatbots.

The nation’s online safety regulator stated that the measures aim to shield children from harmful content and will impose fines on platforms that violate the rules.

Critics warn that the system raises data‑privacy concerns and could be circumvented through tactics such as falsifying facial recognition data, using forged digital IDs or misrepresenting credit‑card information.

Aylo explained its decision to return, noting that Apple has established a benchmark by enabling child‑safety defaults on all devices unless users explicitly confirm they are adults.

This effectively means every phone or tablet starts out kid‑safe by default, the company added.

“For years, Aylo has championed device‑based age verification as the most effective and privacy‑preserving method to keep minors from accessing inappropriate online content,” said Alex Kekesi, Aylo’s vice‑president of brand and community.

“Australians using Apple devices that have completed age verification will receive the standard adult‑user experience,” she stated.

“Apple users can verify they are over 18 by presenting a credit card, passport, driver’s licence or any government‑issued identification.”

“Kekesi added that default child‑safety settings mean adults no longer need to hand over unnecessary personal data to numerous apps and websites.”

“She also noted that this approach reduces the effectiveness of virtual private networks (VPNs) used to bypass age‑verification checks.”

“VPNs are frequently employed to make a service believe a user is connecting from a different country, thereby granting access to blocked content.”

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