Pornhub returns to Australia but only for adults with Apple devices

What the report says

Pornhub has resumed service in Australia, but access is limited to adult users with Apple devices who have completed Apple’s Australian age-verification process, according to BBC World News. The move comes about eight months after the site was blocked in Australia in response to new age-check rules introduced in March.

The BBC reported that Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, said it was restoring access for eligible adults who could confirm their age through Apple’s system. Pornhub had previously withdrawn from the market, arguing that the laws were not an effective way to protect children and raised privacy concerns. Australia’s online safety regulator has said the tighter rules are meant to keep minors away from harmful material, while critics have warned about privacy and the possibility of users bypassing checks.

The return appears tied to Apple’s rollout of new age-verification tools in Australia, following a similar approach in the UK. Aylo said Apple’s default child-safety settings created a more privacy-friendly way to restrict minors from adult content.

The development underscores the wider debate over how best to verify age online, balancing child protection with privacy and access concerns. For now, the re-entry applies only to a limited group of Australian users on Apple devices.