Archive · 5 Dec 2025
UK Fines Porn Site £1M for Age Check Failures
The UK's media watchdog, Ofcom, fined a company called AVS Group £1 million for not properly checking the ages of people visiting its 18 adult websites.
The new Online Safety Act, which started in July, requires these sites to use strict checks like facial recognition or credit card verification to make sure only adults can access them.
AVS Group was also fined an extra £50,000 for not responding to Ofcom's requests.
If they don't fix the problem within 72 hours, they could face more fines.
This law is meant to protect children from seeing harmful content, but some people think it limits free speech.
Since the law started, many people have been downloading VPNs to bypass these restrictions.
Ofcom fined AVS Group £1 million for inadequate age verification on 18 porn sites.
The fine is the largest under the UK's Online Safety Act, effective since July 2024.
AVS Group must implement proper age checks within 72 hours or face daily fines.
An additional £50,000 fine was imposed for failing to respond to Ofcom's information request.
The Online Safety Act requires strict age verification methods like facial recognition or credit card checks.
- Who
- AVS Group, Ofcom
- What
- Fined for failing age verification checks on porn sites
- When
- July 2024 (Online Safety Act effective), fine imposed in October 2024
- Where
- United Kingdom
- Why
- To prevent children from accessing harmful online content
- Company Fined
- AVS Group
- Fine Amount
- £1 million
- Regulation
- Online Safety Act
- Effective Date
- July 2024
- Additional Fine
- £50,000 for non-compliance
- Maximum Possible Fine
- £18 million or 10% of revenue
- Age Verification Methods
- Facial imagery, credit card checks