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Millenium TV has learned that a significant penalty has been issued to an adult content provider for failing to implement adequate age verification measures. The telecommunications regulator has imposed a substantial £1 million fine, marking its largest financial penalty to date under the new Online Safety Act.
Under the provisions of the Online Safety Act, websites hosting explicit material are legally mandated to establish “highly effective age assurance” protocols. This requirement is designed to prevent minors from easily accessing adult content online.
AVS Group Ltd, which operates 18 adult websites, was cited for non-compliance. In addition to the £1 million fine for inadequate age checks, the company faces an extra £50,000 penalty for its failure to respond to official information requests. The regulator has ordered AVS Group to implement effective age assurance within 72 hours. Failure to comply will result in an additional daily penalty of £1,000.
A spokesperson for the regulator indicated that this enforcement action signifies a turning point in online safety efforts. Oliver Griffiths, the online safety group director, stated that “this year has seen important changes for people, with new measures across many sites and apps now better protecting children from harmful content.” Griffiths further emphasized that authorities expect greater diligence from technology companies in the coming year, warning that “we’ll use our full powers if they fall short.”
The Online Safety Act is being rolled out in stages, aiming to address previous practices where online platforms were described as “unregulated, unaccountable and often unwilling to prioritise people’s safety over profits.” Separately, authorities disclosed that a major social media platform is currently undergoing compliance remediation with its enforcement team. While the platform remains unnamed, officials indicated that formal action could be taken if sufficient improvements are not demonstrated promptly.
Stricter age verification requirements for adult websites were implemented in July. However, concerns have been raised that these measures can be circumvented using virtual private networks (VPNs), which re-route internet traffic. Millenium TV has learned that in October, the parent company of Pornhub reported a 77% reduction in UK visitors following the introduction of these age checks. The regulator has also imposed fines on other entities for failing to implement proper age verification, including creators of “nudify” deepfake applications. Despite these efforts, the online message board 4Chan has reportedly refused to comply with a £20,000 fine issued earlier in the summer.
This year also saw the introduction of stricter guidelines aimed at enhancing internet safety for women and girls, with the regulator pledging to publicly identify platforms that fail to comply. Critics, however, argue that the Act requires further strengthening to adequately protect women and girls online.
© Millenium TV
