Pornography company fined 1m by Ofcom for not having strong enough age checks

"A pornography company that runs 18 adult websites has been fined 1m by the watchdog Ofcom for not having strong enough age checks. AVS Group Ltd has been hit with the fine, plus a further 50,000 for failing to respond to information requests. It is the third time that the internet and communications watchdog has fined a company in relation to the UK's Online Safety Act, which came into force in July."

"Ofcom has opened investigations into 92 online services since the new rules were introduced. It is prioritising sites with millions of monthly UK visitors and, therefore, the level of harm that they may pose. Ofcom also said one major social media company, which it did not name, may face formal action if it did not improve its compliance procedures. The Online Safety Act brought in a new set of laws aimed at protecting children and adults from harmful content."

AVS Group Ltd, which operates 18 adult websites, has been fined £1m by Ofcom for inadequate age verification and £50,000 for failing to respond to information requests. The regulator judged the company's age checks not highly effective. AVS must introduce age checks deemed effective by Ofcom within 72 hours or face a £1,000-per-day penalty, plus a £300 daily penalty until it complies with information requests (up to 60 days). Ofcom has opened investigations into 92 services under the Online Safety Act, prioritising high-traffic sites. More than half of the top 100 adult services and several social platforms have introduced age checks since July; one major unnamed social media company may face action if compliance does not improve.

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