So most of the major tube sites have decided to implement ID verification for UK viewers. But thankfully there are still plenty of options of websites that have not yet implemented ID verification requirements. Here is a useful list of porn sites to try
to find those not inflicting ID verification: toppornsites.com . For viewers stupidly subscribing to the risk of handing over ID to watch porn I noted that many websites were
promising to not keep a copy of ID data provided for verification purposes and then immediately demanding an email address that will be kept for furture visits. Surely an email address is a key piece of identity data that should not be retained.
Surely a better idea is purchase a VPN and access porn as if in a different country from the UK. For the moment all the major porn sites stil allow access via VPN. Perhaps one day this will not be 5the case when ID verification is adopted worldwide. Also not that it is up to websites whether they allow access via VPN or not. Under threat of extreme punishment they could reasonably easily one day block access from VPNs. (as the likes of BBC and Netflix already do).
Another option is to install a tor browser (the onion ring I think). See torproject.org . This is a browser that looks bery much like Firefox but obtains page data
via complicated and encrypted routing that evades censorship and country specific blocking. It is not quite as 100% succesful as a VPN but can be used to watch porn on the main porn websites.
But of course the authorities will not be very
pleased by these straightforward workarounds, and they have put in place a censorship rule to prevent adult websites from themselves promoting workarounds. According to Ofcom and the BBC, platforms must not host, share or permit content that encourages
the use of VPNs to get around age checks and it will be illegal for them to do so.
An Aylo spokesperson, the parent company of Pornhub said parents are advised to block VPN usage just in case, and told the BBC that the question of VPNs was
an issue for governments, adding:
We certainly do not recommend that anyone uses technology to bypass the law.'
Aylo has publicly called for effective and enforceable age assurance solutions
that protect minors online, while ensuring the safety and privacy of all users. The United Kingdom is the first country to present these same priorities demonstrably
Thankfully such censorship laws simply don't apply to websites out
of Ofcom's remit so there will surely be plenty of sources of information available to workaround the dangers of ID verification for porn.
Update: VPNs galore
27th July 2025. From the Financial Times
The Financial Times has reported on the inevitably booming sales and downloads of VPNs.
Proton VPN has leapfrogged ChatGPT to become the top free app in the UK, according to Apple. Proton VPN has experienced a 1800% increase in daily UK.
sign-ups. NordVPN has seen 1000% increase in UK purchases.
A Proton spokesperson told Mashable: This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy.
