Ofcom has revealed that AVS Group Ltd, a pornographic website operator, has ignored repeated attempts by the UK regulator to make contact. The company was initially fined £1 million for failing to comply with the Online Safety Act’s age verification requirements. Due to its lack of response, Ofcom added £50,000 to the penalty.
Under the Online Safety Act, porn sites must implement “highly effective age assurance” to prevent minors from accessing adult content. AVS Group now has 72 hours to meet these standards or face further fines of £1,000 per day.
In a related development, Ofcom is monitoring a “major social media company” for compliance issues, although it has not disclosed the platform’s identity. Failure to improve could result in enforcement action.
Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s director of online safety, said the fine reflects a broader move toward accountability. “This year has seen significant progress across sites and apps to protect children from harmful content, but more action is needed next year,” he said.
The regulator has previously fined other companies for failing to implement proper age checks, including deepfake “nudify” apps. Online message board 4Chan has also refused to pay a £20,000 fine issued earlier this year.
The Online Safety Act is designed to prevent practices that Ofcom described as “unregulated, unaccountable, and often profit-driven at the expense of user safety.” Age verification rules for porn sites were introduced in July, although critics note that they can still be bypassed using virtual private networks (VPNs).
Ofcom also reached out to TubeCorporate, the parent company behind AVS Group Ltd, for comment. The firm is registered in Belize, which serves as an address for multiple companies but does not appear to host physical offices. Critics argue that the legislation must be strengthened to better protect vulnerable users online.
