In a new move, porn fans will soon have to enter their phone number, address and date of birth before they can access free x-rated videos.
Pornhub is one of a host of adult websites that will ask for personal details before allowing viewers to watch their adult content.
Users will have to create a username and password for all Mindgeek owned sites including Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn and Brazzers.
Critis say the AgeID system could lead to Ashley Madison-style leaks and the end of free online smut flicks.
In a story published in the Sun, reports state that talking at an Open Rights meeting, porn site owner Pandora Blake said, "You can imagine how much data that is going to give MindGeek, if they’re going to have stats on what people click on, what porn sites people click on, what they pay for. Once you’ve got a MindGeek login, you’re going to be giving them your entire web browsing history, because they’re going to be able to track every time you log in to anything.”
But MindGeek denied there was a data risk.
A MindGeek spokesman went on to add that AgeID has been built from the ground up with data protection, data minimisation and the principles of privacy by design at its core, while also complying with the GDPR.
The online ID checks are part of the Digital Economy Act 2018.
Sites which fail to ID users can be fined up to £250,000.
Critics say this could lead to the end of free porn and is the thin end of a wedge to membership only xxx movies.
