Ofcom Imposes Fines for Non-Compliance with Age Verification Standards
Ofcom has intensified its enforcement actions by issuing significant fines to digital platforms that fail to implement effective age verification measures. Recently, fines totaling up to £1,050,000 have been levied against platforms that did not comply with statutory notices and failed to establish robust age assurance systems. The Online Safety Act (OSA) mandates that all regulated services hosting primary priority content, such as adult material or content related to self-harm, must have 'highly effective' age verification systems. These systems are required to be technically accurate, robust, reliable, and fair, surpassing basic age gates. Ofcom's approach allows for innovation in age verification, unlike other jurisdictions that mandate third-party solutions. Currently, 76 sites are under investigation, with potential penalties including fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenues, and service disruptions like blocking UK access. 
