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UK regulator, Ofcom, has initiated formal investigations into four companies operating a total of 34 pornography websites for alleged non-compliance with new age-verification requirements under the Online Safety Act.
This move signals a significant step in the UK’s efforts to protect children from harmful online content.
The new regulations, which came into force on July 25, mandate that sites allowing users to upload pornographic material must implement “highly effective age assurance” measures. This is to prevent minors from accessing such content. Ofcom stated that prior to the deadline, thousands of sites committed to adhering to these new duties or restricting UK access.
The four companies now under formal investigation are 8579 LLC, AVS Group Ltd, Kick Online Entertainment S.A., and Trendio Ltd. Ofcom prioritized these providers based on the “risk of harm posed by the services they operate and their user numbers,” noting that these 34 websites collectively attract over 9 million unique monthly UK visitors.
“Since the new duties came into force, we have been rigorously checking compliance,” an Ofcom spokesperson stated. “These new cases add to Ofcom’s 11 investigations already in progress, and we expect to make further enforcement announcements in the coming weeks and months.”
Ofcom will now gather and analyze evidence to determine if any contraventions have occurred. Should compliance failures be identified, the regulator possesses significant enforcement powers. These include requiring platforms to take specific corrective steps and imposing substantial fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.
In the most severe instances, Ofcom can seek court orders for “business disruption measures,” such as compelling payment providers or advertisers to withdraw services, or even requiring Internet Service Providers to block access to a non-compliant site in the UK.
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