AVS Group, a Belize-based company operating 18 adult websites, has been fined £1 million by Ofcom for failing to implement sufficiently robust age verification measures. The penalty is the largest imposed under the UK's Online Safety Act, which introduced strict age-checking requirements in July.
Ofcom also issued a £50,000 fine for AVS's failure to respond to information requests. The company has 72 hours to introduce effective age checks or face a daily penalty of £1,000, plus an additional £300 per day for up to 60 days for non-compliance with information requests.
Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom's group director for online safety, described the fine as part of a 'broader tide turning' in cleaning up platforms, including the adoption of age checks across pornography sites to tackle child sexual abuse material. He noted that over 90 websites remain under investigation, including 83 pornography sites, with further fines expected.
Ofcom also warned an unnamed major social media platform that it may face formal action if it fails to improve its compliance procedures, including submitting adequate risk assessments for illegal content. Additionally, the regulator is reviewing another major platform's systems for removing illegal terror and hate content.
The Online Safety Act allows for fines of up to £18 million or 10% of annual revenue, and potential service shutdowns. Since July, more than half of the top 100 adult services in the UK have introduced age checks. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall affirmed the government's support for Ofcom's enforcement actions, stating that keeping children safe online is a personal priority.
