In brief
The world’s largest porn site is returning to Australia after an eight‑month pause, but access is now limited to adults who have confirmed their age via Apple’s new system. The Australian government’s 2024 law requires users to prove they are over 18 to view adult content, and Apple’s device‑based age check has become the benchmark. Aylo, the parent company, argues that this approach protects children while preserving privacy, and it also reduces the effectiveness of VPNs. Critics caution that privacy concerns and possible cheating of the system remain, but the company insists it is a practical solution.
The world’s biggest porn site, Pornhub, has returned to the Australian market after an eight‑month hiatus, but the site is now only accessible to adults who have proven their age through Apple’s new age‑verification system.
Aylo said it was restoring access for “eligible adult users in Australia” who have confirmed their age through Apple’s Australian age‑verification process. The company had previously left the market in March, arguing that new laws requiring users to prove they were over 18 would not protect children and would instead create harms related to data privacy.
Apple recently introduced new age checks in Australia, following a rollout in the UK, and the government’s stricter laws now require proof of being 18+ to access adult content, R‑rated video games and sexually explicit AI chatbots.
Critics warned of potential privacy issues and ways users could trick age‑verification technologies such as facial recognition, digital IDs and credit‑card details.
Aylo said its return is driven by Apple’s benchmark device‑based age verification, which sets default child‑safety features on all devices unless owners confirm they are adults. “Every phone or tablet is kid‑safe as a starting point,” the company said.
Vice‑president Alex Kekesi added that this approach keeps personal data within the device, relieving adults from surrendering unnecessary information to multiple apps and websites. The system also limits the usefulness of virtual private networks, which are often used to circumvent age‑verification and access restricted sites.
