UK internet watchdog Ofcom has slapped pornography company AVS Group Ltd with a £1 million fine for failing to implement effective age checks on its 18 adult websites. The regulator issued an additional £50,000 penalty for the company's failure to respond to information requests.
The hefty sanctions mark the third fine issued under Britain's Online Safety Act, which became enforceable in July. AVS Group now faces a ticking clock – it has just 72 hours to introduce Ofcom-approved age verification or incur further daily penalties of £1,000.
The company also faces an ongoing £300 daily penalty for up to 60 days for its failure to respond to the regulator's information requests. Ofcom deemed the age verification system AVS Group had implemented as insufficiently effective during its investigation.
Wider crackdown gathering pace
Ofcom has opened 92 investigations into online services since the new rules took effect, demonstrating the regulator's aggressive enforcement approach. The watchdog is also considering formal action against an unnamed major social media company for compliance failures.
The enforcement drive has already yielded results across the industry. More than half of the top 100 most popular adult services in the UK have introduced age checks since July, alongside major social media platforms including X, TikTok, and Reddit.
"The tide on online safety is beginning to turn for the better," said Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom's online safety group director. "But we need to see much more from tech companies next year and we'll use our full powers if they fall short."
Government backing enforcement drive
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall expressed strong support for Ofcom's enforcement actions. "Since the enforcement of the Online Safety Act, platforms have finally started taking responsibility for protecting children and removing illegal and hateful content," she said.
"Ofcom has the Government's full backing to use all its powers to ensure that services put users' safety first," Kendall added. "Keeping children safe online is this government's and my personal priority."
The Online Safety Act represents Britain's most comprehensive attempt to regulate online content and protect users, particularly children, from harmful material. Ofcom prioritizes its investigations based on services with millions of monthly UK visitors due to their higher potential for harm.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
