pornblocked

Is Pornhub blocked in Italy?

No. Italy's AGCOM age-check rules took effect November 12, 2025, but Pornhub is still available there (click-through age declaration only).

Pornhub availableclick-through age declaration only Law in effect
Last verified Sources (14)

Italy's 'Caivano decree' and AGCOM's 2025 rules require pornographic sites to verify users' ages with privacy-protective, third-party checks. The rules have applied to Italian and non-EU sites since 12 November 2025, and AGCOM has ordered non-compliant sites blocked. In April 2026 a Rome administrative court struck down the extension of the rules to sites based in other EU countries, including Pornhub's operator, so those sites do not currently have to verify age in Italy.

Pornhub è bloccato in Italia?

No. Italy's AGCOM age-check rules took effect November 12, 2025, but Pornhub is still available there (click-through age declaration only).

The law

Key facts
StatusLaw in effect
LawAGCOM age-check rules: Decreto-legge n. 123/2023 ('Decreto Caivano'), art. 13-bis, and AGCOM Delibera 96/25/CONS (text)
CitationD.L. 15 settembre 2023, n. 123, art. 13-bis (inserted on conversion by Legge 13 novembre 2023, n. 159); AGCOM Delibera 96/25/CONS of 8 April 2025 (technical and procedural age-verification rules)
PassedNovember 13, 2023
In effectNovember 12, 2025
RegulatorAGCOM (Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni), with the Garante Privacy
Who it coversWebsites and video-sharing platforms that distribute pornography in Italy, as listed by AGCOM (list first published 31 October 2025). Under art. 13-bis, providers had six months after AGCOM published its rules to put effective age checks in place. The obligations have applied since 12 November 2025 to providers established in Italy and outside the EU, and were due to apply from 1 February 2026 to providers in other EU states. On 7 April 2026 the Lazio regional administrative court (TAR Lazio) annulled that extension to EU-established providers, because AGCOM had not first asked their home states to act and notified the European Commission.
Accepted ID methodsTwo-step process: identification, then authentication by certified independent third parties; Check repeated for each session; App-based proof of age generated on the user's device; 'Double anonymity' (the age-check provider does not know which site the proof is for; the site gets no identity data)
Data rulesArt. 13-bis requires the methods to be secure for the level of risk and to limit the personal data collected. AGCOM's rules, set after consulting the Garante Privacy, require proportionality, data minimisation, security and accuracy, and use a 'double anonymity' design so sites receive proof of age without identifying data.
EnforcementAGCOM monitors compliance and, on finding a breach, formally contests it and issues a warning (diffida) giving the provider 20 days to comply. If the provider still does not comply, AGCOM orders Italian access providers to block the site, by DNS, until it complies. For providers established in other EU states, AGCOM must first follow the e-commerce directive's procedure: ask the home state to act and notify the Commission.
PenaltiesFines under art. 1(31) of Law 249/1997, set at 20 million to 500 million lire (about €10,329 to €258,228), plus DNS blocking orders until the provider complies.

Why is Pornhub still available in Italy?

Pornhub has not been blocked in Italy and does not verify age there. Its Cyprus-based operator, Aylo, is among the EU-established providers whose obligations TAR Lazio annulled on 7 April 2026; until AGCOM completes the EU cross-border procedure, such sites can keep using a click-through self-declaration. The European Commission found in March 2026 that Pornhub admits EU users this way.

What does AGCOM age-check rules require?

Websites and video-sharing platforms that distribute pornography in Italy, as listed by AGCOM (list first published 31 October 2025). Under art. 13-bis, providers had six months after AGCOM published its rules to put effective age checks in place. The obligations have applied since 12 November 2025 to providers established in Italy and outside the EU, and were due to apply from 1 February 2026 to providers in other EU states. On 7 April 2026 the Lazio regional administrative court (TAR Lazio) annulled that extension to EU-established providers, because AGCOM had not first asked their home states to act and notified the European Commission.

Enforcement: AGCOM monitors compliance and, on finding a breach, formally contests it and issues a warning (diffida) giving the provider 20 days to comply. If the provider still does not comply, AGCOM orders Italian access providers to block the site, by DNS, until it complies. For providers established in other EU states, AGCOM must first follow the e-commerce directive's procedure: ask the home state to act and notify the Commission.

How do I verify my age for adult sites in Italy?

Italy's AGCOM age-check rules accepts these methods: Two-step process: identification, then authentication by certified independent third parties; Check repeated for each session; App-based proof of age generated on the user's device; 'Double anonymity' (the age-check provider does not know which site the proof is for; the site gets no identity data). Each site chooses which ones to offer.

Can porn sites keep my ID in Italy?

Art. 13-bis requires the methods to be secure for the level of risk and to limit the personal data collected. AGCOM's rules, set after consulting the Garante Privacy, require proportionality, data minimisation, security and accuracy, and use a 'double anonymity' design so sites receive proof of age without identifying data.

Timeline

  1. Law 159/2023 converts the 'Caivano decree' and adds art. 13-bis, requiring porn sites and video-sharing platforms to verify users' ages. [1]
  2. AGCOM adopts Delibera 96/25/CONS, setting the technical and procedural rules for age verification. [4]
  3. Age-verification duties apply to listed providers established in Italy or outside the EU. [3]
  4. AGCOM orders its first DNS blocks of two Italian porn sites that ignored its warning. [3]
  5. TAR Lazio annuls the extension of the rules to providers established in other EU states, including Pornhub's operator, in four parallel judgments. [6]
  6. AGCOM orders Escort Advisor, run by a Swiss company, blocked for Italian users. [5]

Courts and enforcement

  • Urgent applications by Aylo and other operators against Delibera 96/25/CONS and the 31 October 2025 list (TAR Lazio). Orders of early 2026 set an expedited merits hearing for 11 March 2026. Some press reported them as a suspension; AGCOM's Delibera 73/26/CONS states they did not suspend Delibera 96/25/CONS. Superseded by the April 2026 judgments. Source
  • Tecom Ltd, Technius Ltd, Hammy Media Ltd and Aylo Freesites Ltd v. AGCOM (four parallel judgments, including Technius, no. 06281/2026) (TAR Lazio (Sezione Quarta), Apr 7, 2026). Delibera 96/25/CONS annulled in part: the automatic extension to providers established in other member states (art. 4(2), Annex A) falls because AGCOM skipped the e-commerce directive's prior-request and notification procedure. The argument that the DSA pre-empts national rules was rejected. No appeal to the Consiglio di Stato found as of 26 October 2026. Source
  • First blocking orders (Delibere 73/26/CONS and 74/26/CONS): giochipremium.com and hentai-ita.net (operator Onlab, Italy) (AGCOM, Mar 26, 2026). DNS block ordered (adopted 18 March 2026). Source
  • Blocking order against Escort Advisor (DonTouch SA, Switzerland), Delibera 171/26/CONS; third measure under art. 13-bis (AGCOM, Jul 29, 2026). DNS block ordered (adopted 7 July 2026). Source

Bills to watch

  • Cross-border procedure for EU-established sites. AGCOM must ask home-state authorities (mainly Cyprus) to act and notify the European Commission before applying age-verification duties to EU-based sites. pending; no step reported as of 26 October 2026
  • Other TAR challenges by Italian adult-industry operators. Separate appeals by Italian companies were reported as pending. pending

Related laws

  • Digital Services Act and e-commerce directive art. 3(4). TAR Lazio held that the DSA has not yet fully harmonised minors' protection, so Italy may act, but it must ask the home member state (e.g. Cyprus) to act and notify the Commission before imposing duties on EU-based providers.

Sources

  1. Decreto-legge 15 settembre 2023, n. 123, art. 13-bis (Normattiva) (normattiva.it) Statute · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  2. Legge 31 luglio 1997, n. 249, art. 1, comma 31 (Normattiva) (normattiva.it) Statute · accessed Oct 26, 2026
  3. Tutela dei minori e verifica dell'età: Agcom adotta i primi ordini di blocco di siti pornografici inadempienti (AGCOM press release) (agcom.it) Regulator · Mar 26, 2026
  4. Delibera n. 73/26/CONS (AGCOM blocking order, giochipremium.com) (agcom.it) Regulator · Mar 18, 2026
  5. Tutela dei minori online e verifica dell'età: Agcom ordina il blocco del sito Escort Advisor (AGCOM press release) (agcom.it) Regulator · Jul 29, 2026
  6. TAR Lazio, Sez. IV, sentenza n. 06281/2026 (Technius Ltd v. AGCOM) (mdp.giustizia-amministrativa.it) Court · Apr 7, 2026
  7. Commission preliminarily finds PornHub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos in breach of the DSA (IP/26/722) (ec.europa.eu) Government · Mar 26, 2026
  8. Agcom, in vigore gli obblighi di verifica dell'età per i siti porno (ANSA) (ansa.it) News · Feb 3, 2026
  9. L'Agcom blocca i primi siti porno per mancata verifica dell'età (AGI) (agi.it) News · Mar 26, 2026
  10. I siti porno stranieri avranno ancora molto tempo prima di dover verificare l'età (Il Post) (ilpost.it) News · Apr 8, 2026
  11. La verifica dell'età per i siti pornografici è sempre più un pasticcio (Pagella Politica) (pagellapolitica.it) News · Apr 13, 2026
  12. Tutela dei minori online e verifica dell'età, Agcom ordina blocco sito Escort Advisor (ANSA) (ansa.it) News · Jul 29, 2026
  13. Siti vietati ai minori, stretta dell'Agcom sulla verifica dell'età (Sky TG24) (tg24.sky.it) News · Apr 19, 2025
  14. Blocco di Pornhub in Italia, il ricorso al TAR cambia la data di applicazione (Fanpage) (fanpage.it) News · Feb 4, 2026

This page is general information, not legal advice. Last verified October 26, 2026 by the Editorial Team. See something wrong or out of date? Report a correction. How we work: methodology.