Summary
A company called AVS Group Ltd, which operates pornographic websites, was fined £1 million by the UK's media regulator, Ofcom, for not having proper age checks to prevent children from accessing adult content. The company has since started using improved methods to verify users' ages on some websites but could face more fines if all its platforms do not meet the required standards as outlined in the Online Safety Act.
Key Facts
- Ofcom fined AVS Group Ltd £1 million for inadequate age verification under the UK's Online Safety Act.
- AVS Group Ltd has begun implementing improved age checks on some of its websites.
- The company was fined an additional £50,000 for not responding to Ofcom's communication since July.
- AVS Group Ltd risks further fines of £1,000 per day until Ofcom is satisfied with compliance across all sites.
- The UK's Online Safety Act requires "highly effective age assurance" for porn websites to block child access.
- VPN use in the UK more than doubled after new age check rules were enforced in July.
- AVS Group Ltd appears to have no physical offices at its registered address in Belize.
