The UK's communications watchdog has issued a hefty £1 million fine to a pornography company for failing to properly prevent children from accessing its adult content.
Major Penalty for Inadequate Age Checks
Ofcom has penalised AVS Group Ltd, which operates 18 adult websites, for its insufficient age verification measures. This marks the third time the regulator has used its powers under the Online Safety Act, which became law in July. An additional £50,000 penalty was imposed because the company did not respond fully to information requests from the investigation.
Despite AVS Group's claims that it had implemented systems to check users' ages, Ofcom's probe found these methods were not effective enough. The regulator has now given the firm just 72 hours to introduce age assurance that meets its standards.
Daily Fines and Wider Crackdown
If AVS Group fails to act within the three-day deadline, it will face a daily penalty of £1,000. This is on top of an existing £300 daily fine for non-compliance with information requests, which can run for a maximum of 60 days.
This case is part of a broader enforcement drive. Ofcom has opened investigations into 92 online services since the new rules took effect, including sites with millions of monthly UK visitors. The regulator revealed that more than half of the UK's top 100 most popular adult services, as well as social media platforms like X, TikTok, and Reddit, have introduced age checks since July.
Government and Regulator Send Strong Warning
Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s Online Safety Group Director, stated: “The tide on online safety is beginning to turn for the better. But we need to see much more from tech companies next year and we’ll use our full powers if they fall short.”
The government has thrown its full support behind the regulator's actions. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Since the enforcement of the Online Safety Act, platforms have finally started taking responsibility for protecting children and removing illegal and hateful content. Ofcom has the Government’s full backing to use all its powers to ensure that services put users’ safety first.”
She added that keeping children safe online is a key personal priority for her and the government. Ofcom also indicated that one major, unnamed social media company could face formal action if it does not improve its compliance procedures.
