British media regulator Ofcom has issued a fine of $1.83 million to porn company 8579 LLC for failing to implement age verification checks on its adult websites. On top of that, the company has been fined £50,000 for ignoring an information request.

Since the Online Safety Act went into effect in July 2025, websites in the United Kingdom have been required to verify the age of their visitors.

The legislation is designed to prevent minors from accessing websites that contain pornographic material and other harmful content, such as information regarding self-mutilation, eating disorders, or suicide.

The Online Safety Act requires website owners and app developers to implement age verification systems and controls to verify users' ages. Platforms that refuse to do so face penalties of up to £18 million, or 10% of their annual global turnover, whichever is greater.

Last year, Ofcom launched an investigation into 8579 LLC to see whether the owner of several adult websites had implemented age verification checks to prevent children from encountering pornographic content.

According to the media regulator’s penalty notice, the company failed to do so. For failing to implement the required age verification checks, the firm has been fined £1.35 million. The company has been ordered to immediately implement “highly effective age assurance” or face a daily penalty of £1,000.

Furthermore, the company ignored multiple legally binding information requests. For this offense, 8579 LLC will be fined £50,000, plus an additional penalty of £250 per day until the company responds to Ofcom’s information requests, for a maximum of 60 days.

“We’ve been clear that adult sites must deploy robust age checks to protect children in the UK from seeing porn. Those that fail to do this, or ignore legally binding requests from us, should expect to face fines,” George Lusty, Director of Enforcement at Ofcom, said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Ofcom imposed an £800,000 fine on Kick Online Entertainment SA for failing to put proper age checks in place to protect children from adult content. The company also received a £30,000 fine for ignoring information requests, with an additional £200 per day until the firm responds.

“Having highly effective age checks on adult sites to protect children from pornographic content is non-negotiable. Any company that fails to meet this duty, or engage with us, can expect to face robust enforcement action, including significant fines,” Suzanne Cater, Director of Enforcement at Ofcom, said at the time.

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