The first fines in the UK for sites and apps not complying with the country’s new porn access age verification rules have been issued, and they total just £75,000 ($98,000).
This month (November 2025) Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulatory body, fined a company behind a ‘nudify’ app a total of £55,000 ($72,000). Itai Tech Ltd, which makes the Undress.cc app, was fined for failing to use highly effective age assurance processes, and for not complying with an information request.
In October it was confirmed that the messageboard 4Chan was fined £20,000 ($26,000) by Ofcom for not responding to information requests regarding age verification. A lawyer for 4Chan told BBC News that it would not pay the fine, and accused Ofcom of waging an “illegal campaign of harassment” against US firms.
From July 25 2025, under the UK’s Online Safety Act, sites that publish or allow the sharing of porn needed to implement robust age verification checks for UK users, to ensure that users are aged 18 or over. Ofcom said that it had investigated a total of 76 sites and apps following the change, accusing many of ignoring or falling short of the new standards.
A drop in the ocean…
The sizes of the fines issued by Ofcom may not strike fear into the hearts of porn site owners operating in the less-regulated depths of the internet. However, Ofcom has announced that it has targeted 20 more porn services, which comprise part of the 76-strong total.
Recently Pornhub wrote to Apple, Microsoft and Google about age verification, arguing that the companies should support the process taking place at device-level. Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, says that rather than being largely the responsibility of porn sites and apps, age verification should be part of devices set to be ‘kid’- or ‘adult’-safe.
Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s Director of Enforcement, said: “The use of highly effective age assurance to protect children from harmful pornographic content is non-negotiable and we will accept no excuses for failure. Any service which fails to meet their age-check duties under the Online Safety Act can expect to face robust enforcement action, including significant fines.”
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