UK's Ofcom fines porn site £800,000 for not rolling out age checks
6 hours ago
- #Online Safety
- #Age Verification
- #Ofcom
- Ofcom fined Kick Online Entertainment SA £800,000 for failing to implement proper age verification measures on its porn sites.
- The company lacked 'highly effective' methods to ensure UK visitors were over 18, violating the law between July and December 2025.
- Ofcom also fined Kick Online Entertainment £30,000 for not responding to information requests, with additional daily penalties until compliance.
- Message board 4chan faces a £520,000 fine for non-compliance with the UK's Online Safety Law, but its lawyer states it will not pay.
- Ofcom emphasized that adult sites must have robust age checks to prevent children from accessing porn, with fines or site blocks for non-compliance.
- 4chan's lawyer argues that Ofcom's enforcement violates US First Amendment rights and suggests legal action in the US.
- Ofcom maintains that companies serving UK users must comply with UK laws, regardless of their base location.
- The regulator continues to investigate other porn sites lacking age checks and has issued its largest penalty to AVS Group Ltd for non-compliance.
- The dispute highlights tensions between UK/EU regulations and US tech firms, with some US politicians opposing perceived overreach.