UK fines porn company £1.35 million for lack of age checks
Mashable
February 23, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The UK communications regulator Ofcom has fined the adult content company 8579 LLC £1.35 million for failing to implement robust age verification checks, violating the Online Safety Act. Additionally, the company was penalized £50,000 for not responding to an information request from Ofcom. The law, which came into effect in July 2025, mandates that porn sites must use advanced age assurance methods such as credit card verification or facial recognition scans, rather than relying on basic "yes or no" checkboxes.
Ofcom’s investigation revealed that 8579 LLC’s websites, including crazyporn.xxx and love4porn.com, lacked these required measures, putting children at risk of accessing adult content. George Lusty, Ofcom’s director of enforcement, emphasized the importance of compliance to protect minors, stating that failure to meet legal obligations would result in fines or other enforcement actions. This case follows previous penalties for non-compliant platforms, such as Kick Online Entertainment, which was fined £800,000.
The issue extends beyond UK borders, as Ofcom has also targeted US-based sites like 4chan and Kiwi Farms, which are currently suing the regulator, arguing they should not be subject to UK laws due to their foreign origins. Meanwhile, VPN usage in the UK has surged since the law’s implementation, with some users bypassing age checks. This trend has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act, as workarounds like VPNs undermine its intent.
In response, major platforms like Pornhub initially complied but later blocked access to their UK site unless users verified their age beforehand. The parent company, Aylo, cited these circumvention tactics as a reason for withdrawing compliance. This highlights the ongoing challenges of enforcing online safety regulations in an increasingly digital and globalized world, where technical workarounds can undermine legal frameworks.
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Originally published on Mashable on 2/23/2026