According to Tech Digest, the UK media regulator Ofcom has fined porn company AVS Group Ltd a hefty £1 million for failing to implement proper age checks on its websites, as required by the Online Safety Act. The fine was announced on December 4th, and the company, which is registered at an address in Belize, was also hit with an additional £50,000 penalty for not responding to Ofcom’s information requests. Ofcom confirms AVS has now introduced a new “highly effective” age assurance method on some platforms, but warns the firm could face daily fines of £1,000 until it’s satisfied the checks are rolled out everywhere. This enforcement comes after stricter age checks for porn sites began in July 2025, a move that reportedly caused VPN usage in the UK to more than double as users sought to bypass the rules. Ofcom is currently investigating more than 90 online services, including 83 pornography sites, signaling more fines are likely on the way.
The VPN loophole problem
Here’s the immediate, glaring outcome of this regulatory push: it’s creating a massive VPN boom. The report that UK VPN usage more than doubled after these age checks kicked in tells you everything you need to know about user behavior. People don’t like friction, and they especially don’t like it when it comes to accessing content they’re used to getting easily. So, the law achieves its stated goal of putting a gate in front of UK-based users, but it just pushes a huge portion of traffic through a different, unregulated door. It’s a classic case of regulatory whack-a-mole. You solve one problem but instantly create another, arguably trickier one. How does Ofcom, or any regulator, plan to tackle a population that’s suddenly become savvy about using tools to mask their location?
A warning shot to the industry
Make no mistake, this £1 million fine against AVS Group isn’t just about one company. It’s a very public, very expensive warning shot across the bow of the entire adult industry operating in or accessible from the UK. Ofcom investigating 83 other porn sites means they’re dead serious. The message is clear: implement “highly effective” age assurance, cooperate with our investigations, or get ready to write a massive check. For an industry with many operators based offshore (like AVS in Belize), this introduces a new level of financial risk they can’t easily ignore. But it also raises a big question: what exactly counts as “highly effective”? And who bears the cost and complexity of implementing these systems? You can bet those costs will get passed down, changing the business model for many sites.
The broader tech enforcement shift
This isn’t just a porn industry story. It’s a live test case for the UK’s wider Online Safety Act enforcement. Ofcom is flexing its muscles, showing it will go after non-compliant entities with significant financial penalties. This approach to digital regulation—big fines for non-compliance—is becoming the global standard. Look at GDPR in Europe or various app store rules. The playbook is being written right now: set a rule, investigate broadly, and make an example of a few players to get everyone else in line. For any tech company, especially in sensitive content areas, the era of “move fast and break things” is colliding head-on with the era of “comply or pay up.” The stakes for getting user verification and content moderation right have never been higher, or more expensive.
