UK regulator Ofcom has imposed a £1 million fine on Belize-based pornography company AVS Group Ltd. for failing to implement effective age verification systems. The penalty includes additional daily fines of £1,000 until compliant age assurance is implemented across all company properties and £300 per day for up to 60 days for failing to provide requested information.
The fine stems from violations of the UK’s Online Safety Act, with Ofcom determining that AVS Group’s age verification system lacked biometric liveness detection capabilities. An additional £50,000 penalty was levied for the company’s failure to respond to the regulator’s information requests.
Following the enforcement action, AVS Group has upgraded its biometric liveness detection systems on certain websites, according to an Ofcom representative who spoke with the BBC. The regulator stated the new age verification method is “capable of being highly effective at correctly determining whether or not a user is a child.”
Ofcom is the UK’s communications regulator, responsible for overseeing television, radio, telecommunications, and online services. Under the Online Safety Act that came into force in 2024, the regulator gained expanded powers to enforce age verification requirements and content safety measures on digital platforms, with authority to impose significant financial penalties on non-compliant companies regardless of where they are based.
Separately, Ofcom has expanded its investigation into image and message forum 4chan under its Online Safety Act authority. The updated investigation notice now includes potential failure to prevent children from accessing pornographic content through highly effective age assurance measures, in addition to the original probe into illegal content compliance launched in June.
Ofcom is the United Kingdom’s communications regulator, overseeing broadcasting, telecommunications and postal services across the country. Established in 2003, the London-based authority has expanded its remit significantly with the implementation of the Online Safety Act, gaining new powers to regulate online platforms and impose substantial financial penalties on non-compliant companies.
The regulator has been increasingly active in enforcing age verification requirements for adult content providers, with the AVS Group case representing one of its first major financial penalties under the new online safety legislation. Ofcom’s enhanced authority allows it to fine companies up to 10% of their global annual revenue for serious breaches.
4chan is currently pursuing litigation against Ofcom, challenging the regulator’s claimed jurisdiction over the platform. The expanded investigation reflects Ofcom’s broader enforcement efforts under the new online safety legislation.
