Ofcom fines adult website £1m for insufficient age verification measures
04/12/2025 | The Guardian
A Belize-based pornography company, AVS Group, which runs 18 adult websites, has been fined £1 million by the communications regulator Ofcom for failing to implement sufficiently strong age verification checks. This is the largest fine issued under the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA), which introduced strict age-checking requirements in July.
The company was also hit with an additional £50,000 fine for failing to respond to information requests. AVS Group now faces a further penalty of £1,000 a day unless it introduces age verification measures that Ofcom deems effective within 72 hours.
Ofcom’s Director of Online Safety, Oliver Griffiths, stated that the fine signals a "broader tide turning" in cleaning up platforms. The regulator has opened investigations into 92 online services, including 83 pornography sites, with further fines imminent.
Ofcom also warned that an unnamed major social media company may face formal action if it fails to improve its inadequate risk assessments regarding illegal content.
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