{"rewrite":{"id":"r_837f61a8745c58ce441c9cc3","clusterId":"c_b97e949bbf88e529f6f8b7b9","slug":"pornhub-says-uk-age-checks-pushed-users-to-rogue-adult-sites","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Pornhub Says UK Age Checks Pushed Users to Rogue Adult Sites","summary":"Pornhub has sent an open letter to UK lawmakers arguing that the Online Safety Act age verification obligation failed to protect children. The company claims rogue adult sites that skip age checks now dominate search results, and that access to illegal adult sites is increasing despite the new rules.","whyItMatters":"The letter undercuts the premise of the UK's age verification regime by arguing the regulation is steering users toward unregulated sites, a claim Ofcom partially concedes while standing by the policy.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003ePornhub, the most accessed adult site in the UK, told lawmakers that stricter age verification has produced the opposite of its intended effect. In an open letter, the company said 7 of the top 10 search results for the query \u0026#34;free porn\u0026#34; as of June 2026 were rogue adult sites that neglect the age verification obligation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe UK communications regulator Ofcom reported that daily visitors to adult sites fell by about one-third after the rules took effect, and that most of the top 100 popular adult sites comply. Ofcom also acknowledged that unverified sites remain reachable through search engines, and said it plans to work with Google and Microsoft to address the problem.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePornhub\u0026#39;s own UK access has dropped 77% since verification began, though the company notes many users bypass the checks with VPNs.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Pornhub's open letter turns the Online Safety Act's age checks into a measurement problem: the law's compliance rate is now a search result, not a policy promise.","twitterPost":"Pornhub argues UK age checks rerouted users to unregulated sites, making the law's success a search-result ranking.","threadsPost":"Pornhub's letter to UK lawmakers reframes age verification as a market outcome: seven of ten top results for 'free porn' skip the checks. The law's defenders now have to answer whether compliance is what shows up first.","newsletterBlurb":"Pornhub has gone public with a letter to UK lawmakers arguing that the Online Safety Act's age verification regime is pushing users toward rogue adult sites. The company says 7 of the top 10 search results for \"free porn\" are unregulated sites, while Ofcom acknowledges the gap but maintains the policy is working.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GIGAZINE\",\"url\":\"https://gigazine.net/news/20260821-internet-age-checks-boosted-rogue-adult-sites/\",\"title\":\"Pornhub reports that stricter internet age verification has led to an increase in rogue adult sites; 7 of the top 10 search results for \\\"free porn\\\" were sites not compliant with regulations\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4610,"outputTokens":609,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787349944,"createdAt":"2026-08-21T21:57:17.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-21T22:01:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T21:57:17.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_b97e949bbf88e529f6f8b7b9","canonicalTitle":"インターネット年齢確認の強化により悪質なアダルトサイトが増加したとPornhubが調査結果を公表、「無料ポルノ」の検索結果上位10件のうち7件が規制に準拠していないサイトだった","representativeArticleId":"a_279c1d9db2ef845ade781b48","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-21T11:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-21T11:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T22:01:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GIGAZINE","url":"https://gigazine.net/news/20260821-internet-age-checks-boosted-rogue-adult-sites/","title":"インターネット年齢確認の強化により悪質なアダルトサイトが増加したとPornhubが調査結果を公表、「無料ポルノ」の検索結果上位10件のうち7件が規制に準拠していないサイトだった"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}