Porn company fined £1,000,000 for failing to properly check user ages

A company that runs 18 porn websites has been fined £1,000,000 for failing to ‘effectively’ check the ages of users.

AVS Group Ltd was also given a £50,000 penalty for not giving information to Ofcom.

This is the third time the internet and communications watchdog has fined a company since the Online Safety Bill came into effect in July.

The act says people trying to access 18+ content must prove their age by undergoing checks,

AVS insisted that it implemented age verification, but the regulator found the checks were not effective.

The company now has just 72 hours to introduce age assurance that is up to code or face a daily penalty of £1,000.

Every AVS-ran porn website Metro accessed today asked to complete age verification to ‘gain full access to the site’, including uploading a photo to be age-checked.

Ofcom guidelines say such measures must be ‘technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair’.

AVS was one of dozens of adult sites with millions of monthly visitors that Ofcom began investigating in July.

What is the Online Safety Bill, and has it been effective?

Before the act, most porn websites could be easily accessed, typically after ticking a self-reporting checkbox to say they were 18 or over.

Now users must pass document checks, age-estimating face scans, credit card validations and more.

When Metro checked various high-profile and lesser-known porn sites earlier this year, some websites took down their content altogether, saying they refused to comply.

Tech experts, free space advocates and privacy groups told Metro that age-verification measures undercut privacy and harm free expression.

Others doubted how effective the legislation would be at stopping young people from viewing inappropriate content

Though nearly six in 10 parents believe the measures have been effective at keeping children browsing the web safe, according to a poll by Ofcom.

Kerry Smith, chief executive of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), said: ‘The threats children face online evolve and escalate at a rate that sometimes outstrips regulation.

‘As Ofcom enforces the Online Safety Act, we are starting to see the UK living up to its ambition to be the safest place in the world to be online.’

Chris Sherwood, CEO at the children’s charity NSPCC, said: ‘However, there is much still to do.

‘In 2026, Ofcom must act with ambition as they implement and enforce the regulation, putting meaningful change for children at the heart of decision-making.’

Ofcom said: ‘We continue to investigate other services’ compliance with age check requirements and will take action where necessary.’

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