Ofcom investigates porn websites for age check failures

Ofcom has launched investigations into two pornographic websites suspected of violating the UK’s new child safety regulations.

The regulator is focusing on Itai Tech Ltd, which operates a “nudifying” site, and Score Internet Group LLC, both of which allegedly failed to detail how they are preventing children from accessing their platforms.

Under the Online Safety Act, which came into effect in January, all websites featuring pornographic material must implement “robust” age-checking mechanisms by July. Ofcom’s investigations centre on the fact that the two named services do not appear to have any effective age verification measures in place. Companies found to be in breach of the Act face substantial fines.

Ofcom noted that many services that publish their own pornographic content have complied with the requirements, providing details of the “highly effective age assurance methods” they plan to use. Additionally, a small number of services have chosen to block UK users entirely to prevent children from accessing their content.

Itai Tech Ltd’s platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create the illusion of nudity in images or videos. The Children’s Commissioner has recently urged the government to ban such AI applications, citing their potential for creating sexually explicit images of children.

The Online Safety Act mandates that platforms publishing their own pornographic content implement age checks, such as requiring photo ID or credit card verification, from January. Furthermore, all websites where users might encounter pornographic material, including some social media platforms, must demonstrate the effectiveness of their age verification processes.

Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s chief executive, stated in January that these new rules will change how UK adults access certain online services.

In April, Discord announced it would begin testing facial scanning technology to verify the ages of some users in the UK and Australia. Experts believe this signals a broader shift for platforms as governments worldwide seek to enforce stricter internet safety regulations.

However, some critics argue that these measures could inadvertently push young people to less regulated and potentially more dangerous areas of the internet.

Discord tests face scanning for age verification in the UK and Australia