Ofcom fines porn site company £630,000 for failed age checks

UK regulator Ofcom has fined several porn websites, including a £630,000 penalty for a porn site company, over failed age checks today, BBC News reports. The action targets platforms the watchdog says are not preventing children from accessing adult content. It matters because it marks an escalation in enforcement of age verification standards and could force sweeping changes across the adult industry in the UK.

BBC News says Ofcom cited a slew of sites and warned of further penalties for services that do not implement robust systems to keep under 18s out. The regulator says it assessed whether sites used effective verification, not simple self declaration, and issued fines proportionate to the breaches. Watch for whether the fined company and other platforms appeal, how quickly they roll out stricter checks, and if Ofcom broadens its crackdown in coming weeks. [Developing. This article will be updated.]