Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub.com, has announced that adult users in Australia can now access its platforms on Apple devices running iOS. This development follows Apple's implementation of device-based age and identity verification measures in Australia.

Aylo's Return to the Australian Market

On October 6, 2026, Aylo confirmed its return to the Australian market for eligible age-confirmed iOS users. This move comes after Apple's recent Australian update, which introduced child safety features that are automatically enabled for users who have not verified their age as adults. Alex Kekesi, vice president of brand and community for Aylo, stated that Apple's Australian device-level age-verification update offers "one of the strongest and hardest-to-circumvent protections currently available for helping prevent minors from accessing age-inappropriate content."

Aylo has historically advocated for device-based age verification as a method to prevent minors from accessing age-inappropriate content online while protecting user privacy. The company views Apple's update as setting a benchmark by making every phone or tablet "kid-safe as a starting point." As a result, age-verified iOS users in Australia reaching Pornhub will now be served a standard adult user experience.

The update in Australia follows a similar rollout in the United Kingdom in March, with Apple indicating a global expansion. Aylo congratulated Apple on these extended age requirements for Apple accounts, noting that Apple is demonstrating existing technology to verify age and integrated security to access devices. This applies to shared devices with accounts or profiles, which Aylo believes is the "best and most appropriate place to integrate controls on age-restricted material."

Context of Australian Age Verification Rules

Pornhub had been geo-blocked in Australia since early March 2026. Australia's new age-restricted material codes, which took effect on March 9, 2026, require services hosting or providing access to explicit adult material to implement more robust age checks. The previous "I am over 18" button is no longer considered sufficient. These rules impact adult websites, app stores, search engines, social media platforms, AI services, and some device providers as part of a broader online safety initiative.

Prior to this development, new registrations on Pornhub were shut down for Australian residents, and existing accounts could not log in from Australian IP addresses. This led many Australian users to rely on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the geo-block and access adult content. Services like NordVPN were recommended for unblocking Pornhub in Australia by connecting to servers in countries like Canada or New Zealand, where the platform remained fully accessible without age verification prompts.

The Australian Online Safety Act 2021 mandates that adult websites serving Australian visitors verify every user is aged 18 or above before granting full access. The available verification methods included a government-issued photo ID, a biometric facial age scan, or credit card details processed through a third party. Pornhub had previously withdrawn from Australia rather than meeting these new age verification rules.

Future Implications and Industry Advocacy

Aylo believes that operating system companies, such as Apple, have the capacity to make minors safe globally by providing every user with the ability to identify as an adult, while retaining child safety features until such verification. The company suggests that phones, tablets, and computers "could and should start as kid-safe devices by default." This approach, according to Aylo, protects minors without requiring adults to submit unnecessary personal information to multiple apps and websites, and it avoids systems that are easily circumvented by tools like VPNs.

Aylo is urging Apple to expand its UK and Australia deployments globally and for Google and Microsoft to implement similar solutions. The company asserts that the technology and a precedent for such solutions already exist. Aylo states its determination to be part of this solution and expresses a desire to collaborate with government, civil society, and tech partners to achieve an effective "kid-safe-by-default" solution across the internet.

Key Facts

  • Aylo, parent company of Pornhub.com, has restored access for eligible adult iOS users in Australia.
  • This follows Apple's implementation of device-based age verification through iOS.
  • Australia's new age-restricted material rules took effect on March 9, 2026, requiring robust age checks for adult content.
  • Pornhub had previously geo-blocked Australian users since early March 2026.
  • Aylo advocates for device-based age verification as a privacy-protecting and effective method for child safety.
  • Aylo urges Apple to expand its age verification deployments globally and for other OS providers like Google and Microsoft to adopt similar solutions.