Porn company fined £1.35m by Ofcom over age verification failings
BBC World
February 23, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Ofcom has fined a porn company, 8579 LLC, £1.35 million for failing to implement proper age verification measures on its websites, marking the largest fine under the Online Safety Act (OSA) so far. The regulator found that the company's sites lacked "highly effective" methods to ensure UK visitors were over 18 and prevent underage access to adult content. Additionally, 8579 LLC was fined £50,000 for not responding to Ofcom’s information requests.
The investigation into the company began shortly after the age check rules came into effect in July 2023. Ofcom discovered that most of 8579 LLC's porn sites failed to meet required standards between July and November 2023. The regulator has now demanded that the remaining non-compliant site implement robust age verification methods by November 19, 2023, or face an additional £1,000 daily penalty. If the company fails to provide a complete list of its operated sites, it risks another daily fine of £250.
Ofcom’s enforcement action highlights its commitment to enforcing the Online Safety Act, which aims to protect children from accessing harmful content, including pornography. The regulator has also launched probes into other porn sites lacking age checks and has handed down fines to several non-compliant platforms. George Lusty, Ofcom’s director of enforcement, emphasized that adult sites must prioritize robust age checks to safeguard minors.
The case has sparked broader discussions about online safety and regulation. While some argue that the OSA has successfully protected minors, others, like Pornhub's parent company, AVS, have criticized the law for diverting traffic to unregulated parts of the internet. The regulator’s actions underscore the importance of enforcing legal frameworks to ensure public safety and protect vulnerable populations from harmful online content.
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Originally published on BBC World on 2/23/2026