Porn company fined record £1.3 million by Ofcom over age verification failure Science, climate and technology news

This is the largest fine ever imposed on a porn company under the Online Security Act.

8579 LLC, a pornography provider with several popular sites, was fined a record £1.35 million for not checking age, as well as £50,000 for failing to respond to an information request.

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, which issued the fine, said the company would also face a daily fine of £1,000 if it did not immediately implement highly effective age assurance.

It will also be fined £250 per day until it responds to the regulator’s requests for information, including a full list of all its sites. After 60 days, if he still has not responded, the penalty will be capped.

From July, all pornography providers with a UK audience will have to begin age-appropriate checking of their users.

How does AI estimate the age of a face?

The tick-box asking users if they are over 18 is no longer considered an appropriate age check, and major providers introduced the technology. Properly verify the age of your users.

Ofcom says it is tracking those who did not do so, and an investigation started soon of some of the largest non-compliant sites.

One of the companies under investigation was 8579 LLC.

According to the regulator, until at least 19 November 2025, 8579 LLC failed to implement highly effective age assurance on three of its major sites, while another site continued to break age verification rules.

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Ofcom’s director of enforcement, George Lusty, said: “We have been clear that adult sites in the UK must put in place stronger age checks to protect children from viewing porn.

“Those who fail to do so – or ignore our legally binding requests – should expect to face fines.”

Ofcom’s investigation into 8579 LLC initially included two further sites operated by the company, but they were transferred to another business registered in Seychelles before Ofcom announced its initial findings.

Sky News has attempted to contact 8579 LLC for comment through their websites.