Aylo, the parent conglomerate behind adult industry leaders Pornhub, Brazzers, and YouPorn, is formally lobbying tech titans Apple, Google, and Microsoft to implement device-level age verification systems. The move seeks to replace current site-based ID requirements, which Aylo’s Chief Legal Officer Anthony Penhale characterizes as “fundamentally flawed and counterproductive” in the mission to protect minors while preserving adult privacy.
The Failure of Site-Level Authentication
In a series of letters sent to Silicon Valley’s major players, Aylo argues that the current patchwork of state-level age verification laws has failed its primary objective. These mandates typically require users to upload sensitive government identification to third-party services before accessing sexually explicit content. According to Aylo, this creates significant privacy risks and encourages users to bypass regulated platforms entirely.
The data suggests a massive shift in consumer behavior. Since implementing strict ID checks to comply with new laws, Pornhub reported a staggering 80% drop in traffic in Louisiana and a similar 80% decline in the United Kingdom following the Online Safety Act. “We have seen an exponential surge in searches for alternate adult sites without age restrictions or safety standards at all,” explains Alex Kekesi, Vice President of Brand and Community at Pornhub.
Device-Based API: A Proposed Global Solution
Aylo proposes a shift in responsibility from individual websites to the hardware and operating systems that facilitate internet access. Under this model, a user would verify their age once on their smartphone or tablet. This “age signal” would then be shared via an Application Programming Interface (API) with adult platforms, confirming the user is an adult without sharing their personal identity or documents with every site they visit.
Kekesi advocates for a “kid-safe by default” approach to hardware. “Every phone, tablet, or computer should start as a kid-safe device,” she states. “Only verified adults should unlock access to things like dating apps, gambling, or adult content.”
Big Tech Resists the Responsibility Shift
Despite Aylo’s push, the world’s largest technology companies appear reluctant to become the internet’s primary age gatekeepers. Google spokesperson Karl Ryan emphasized that while the company offers tools like the Credential Manager API, “high-risk services like Aylo will always need to invest in specific tools to meet their own legal and responsibility obligations.” Google currently prohibits adult entertainment apps on its Play Store.
Apple and Microsoft have similarly distanced themselves from the proposal. Apple pointed to its existing child safety reports and web content filters, which are active by default for users under 18, but noted it currently lacks a mechanism to force every website to integrate a specific verification API. Microsoft maintains that age assurance should remain at the service level, targeting specific design features that pose risks.
The “Prohibition” Effect and the Rise of Unregulated Content
Industry experts warn that the current legal landscape is creating a “Prohibition” effect. Mike Stabile, Director of Public Policy at the Free Speech Coalition, argues that these laws have rerouted a “massive river of consumers” away from legal, compliant businesses toward foreign sites that host pirated content, revenge porn, and non-consensual material. “These laws have been great for criminals, terrible for the legal adult industry,” Stabile warns.
The California Model: AB 1043
Aylo points to California’s recently passed Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) as a potential blueprint for the future. Signed into law in October, it requires app store operators to authenticate user ages before a download occurs. This legislation received support from a broad coalition of tech companies, including Meta, OpenAI, and Google, suggesting a growing consensus that verification should happen at the platform level rather than the site level.
Political Stakes and the Future of the Open Web
The debate over age verification extends beyond adult content, impacting the broader gaming and social media industries. In Australia, a new social media ban will soon remove users under 16 from platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Meanwhile, in the U.S., critics point to political motivations behind these laws, including initiatives like Project 2025, which seeks to use state-level regulations to enact a de facto national ban on adult content.
For Aylo and its subsidiaries, the goal remains a unified, global solution that balances safety with anonymity. Since a 2020 investigation into its content moderation, Pornhub has implemented annual transparency reports and more rigorous performer verification. The company maintains that while it supports protecting minors, the current legislative trajectory risks destroying the privacy of adult users while failing to address the reality of how people navigate the modern internet.
