Ofcom Fines AVS Group £1 Million Over Age-Verification Compliance

New enforcement actions under the UK's Online Safety Act are tightening controls on online content. Ofcom has fined AVS Group Ltd £1 million for not establishing effective age checks on its adult sites and has given a 72-hour window to fix the issue.

What happened

Ofcom told INLIBER it had not received any reply from AVS Group Ltd since launching the probe in July, resulting in an additional £50,000 penalty. The Online Safety Act requires platforms hosting pornographic material to implement highly effective age verification to prevent under-18 access.

AVS now faces a requirement to deploy robust age checks within 72 hours or face a daily charge of £1,000 until the measures are in place.

Other enforcement activity

Alongside the AVS case, Ofcom said one major social media platform is undergoing remediation with its enforcement team, though the company has not been named. If improvements are not sufficient, formal action may follow.

Industry context

Ofcom framed the move as part of a broader shift toward online safety, noting progress across several sites and apps, but stressing that more enforcement will come next year. The regulator has already issued fines for inadequate age verification, including for deepfake-style content tools.

Some platforms have reported reduced UK traffic after the age checks were introduced. Critics say the fines must carry real consequences to drive compliance, while supporters argue the enforcement is necessary to protect users, especially women and girls.

Company responses and background

The INLIBER has contacted TubeCorporate, the adult content publisher behind AVS Group Ltd, for comment. The registered address listed for the firm is in Belize; the company has no public offices there, but the address is used by multiple entities.

In parallel, tougher safety guidelines this year also targeted platforms that fail to protect women and girls, with Ofcom pledging to name and shame noncompliant sites. Critics say the industry must be pushed harder to heed parliamentary intent.

Expert comment

Industry observers note that while enforcement is increasing, meaningful compliance will require sustained regulator pressure and clearer accountability for platforms. The cases underscore the need for a robust legal framework to protect users online.

Short summary

Ofcom has fined AVS Group Ltd £1 million for failing to meet age-verification requirements under the Online Safety Act and gave a 72-hour deadline to implement changes. A second, unnamed major platform is also under remediation consideration. The broader takeaway is that regulators are stepping up enforcement to compel stronger safety measures across online services.

Key insight: Regulators are escalating online-safety enforcement, using fines and threats of daily penalties to push platforms toward robust age verification. BBC News