Thu, 04 Dec 2025

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 Porn site fined £1m over age checks has never responded to Ofcom

The regulator tells the BBC it has been emailing AVS Group Ltd without reply since July.
Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has fined AVS Group Ltd £1m for failing to comply with the UK Online Safety Act. However, in an unusual move, Ofcom claims it has never received a response from the company despite multiple attempts to contact them through email since July. As a result, the fine was increased by £50,000. The regulator has ordered AVS Group Ltd to implement "highly effective age assurance" within 72 hours to prevent children from accessing explicit content. Failure to comply will result in an additional penalty of £1,000 per day. In addition to the fine, Ofcom is also taking action against a major social media company that is undergoing compliance remediation with its enforcement team. The regulator has not named the platform but warns that formal action may be taken if it does not see sufficient improvement soon. Ofcom's director of online safety, Oliver Griffiths, said that the tide on online safety is beginning to turn, and companies need to do more to protect children from harmful content next year. He added that Ofcom will use its full powers to enforce compliance with the Online Safety Act if necessary. The fine against AVS Group Ltd comes after Ofcom started issuing fines to companies for failing to implement proper age verification measures. However, some companies have refused to comply, including online message board 4Chan which has not paid a £20,000 fine issued by Ofcom over the summer. The Online Safety Act is being implemented in phases and aims to prevent past practices of online platforms prioritizing profits over people's safety. Tougher age checks for porn websites were introduced in July, but some experts have pointed out that they can be easily avoided using a virtual private network (VPN). Ofcom has also introduced tougher guidelines on ensuring the internet is safer for women and girls, with a promise to name and shame platforms that do not comply. Critics say the Act needs to be toughened up to make the internet safer, particularly for women and girls.
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