Ofcom has fined the operator of a pornography website £630,000 for failing to correctly verify the ages of its customers.
Websites permitting grownup content material, together with porn, have had to make use of “extremely efficient” age assurance to ensure UK guests are 18 or older since July 2025.
However Ofcom, which enforces these necessities, stated the corporate behind porn website Fapello had not launched any checks and didn’t reply to requests for info on time.
“Age checks are now not non-compulsory for porn websites within the UK,” stated George Lusty, director of enforcement at Ofcom.
“They’re a cornerstone of our legal guidelines to guard youngsters from content material they shouldn’t be seeing.”
The regulator opened an investigation into the porn website operator in November.
On Thursday, Ofcom stated it had fined the corporate £600,000 for not introducing strategies to verify the age of customers.
After it didn’t reply to its requests for info on time, Ofcom handed down an extra £30,000 penalty.
“Suppliers additionally must know that if they do not provide correct info to us on time, once we request it, they need to count on to face enforcement motion, together with fines,” added Lusty.
Whereas the location has since blocked UK guests, the regulator says it would proceed to watch its compliance.
