UK Regulator Fines Porn Site and Investigates Other Platforms for Age Verification Failures

The UK media regulator Ofcom has fined the adult content company Kick Online Entertainment SA £800,000 for failing to implement effective age verification measures, which are required to prevent under-18s from accessing pornographic content. The company did not comply with the law between July and December 2025 but has since introduced age checks. Additionally, Ofcom imposed a £30,000 penalty for not responding to information requests and will levy a daily fine of £200 until the company complies. Ofcom began investigating multiple adult sites in July 2025, prioritizing Kick Online Entertainment due to its high user traffic. The regulator has also targeted other porn platforms and previously issued its largest penalty to AVS Group Ltd for similar non-compliance. Meanwhile, the message board 4chan is facing a proposed £520,000 fine for breaking the UK’s Online Safety Law, including failure to conduct age checks and manage illegal content risk. 4chan’s lawyer claims the platform will not pay, citing jurisdictional issues and the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Ofcom emphasized that companies providing services to the UK must comply with UK law, even if they operate internationally. The regulator has warned that it will continue enforcement actions to ensure online safety and prevent underage access to harmful content.