Redazione RHC : 1 August 2025 12:56
Ofcom is investigating four companies, operating a total of 34 pornographic websites, for currently failing to comply with new age-checking requirements. The regulator said on Friday that more than 6,000 pornographic content sites (including PornHub, YouPorn) are using “highly effective” tools to verify or estimate whether users are over or under 18.
But Ofcom (the UK regulator for communications services) says some sites can still ignore its new rules, designed to prevent children from encountering pornographic or other content deemed harmful by lawmakers. Therefore, investigations have been launched into several companies that collectively have more than nine million monthly visitors.
“These companies have been classified based on the risk of harm posed by the services they operate and the number of their users,” Ofcom said in a press release on Thursday. The regulator is already investigating a number of platforms for similar suspicions. It had previously launched formal investigations into an online suicide forum, file-sharing services, and a company operating a so-called “nudification” site.
“We expect to make further announcements regarding the enforcement of the law in the coming weeks and months,” the regulator said.
Since age-verification requirements came into force on Friday, people in the UK have been asked to confirm their age on several platforms, including social media sites Reddit and X. Spotify confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday that it will ask people in the UK, including Australia, to confirm their age if they access music videos rated 18+ by uploaders.
Technology Minister Peter Kyle told BBC Newsbeat that the new UK rules apply “common sense” to internet regulation.“These days, we’re very used to proving our age in many different areas of life, and it makes sense that we do so more assertively when it comes to online activity,” he said.
More than 400,000 people have signed a petition calling for the repeal of the Online Safety Act, the law that imposes age controls to prevent children from accessing adult content. The government responded by saying it has no intention of withdrawing the law. Some have also criticized Ofcom’s effectiveness in implementing age-check requirements in the UK and the potential for circumvention through virtual private networks.
After the rules went into effect on Friday, apps offering free VPN services were the most downloaded in the free category of the Apple App Store. These apps allow users to hide their online location so they can browse the internet from a different location.