Since July 2025, websites with adult content in the UK have had to check users’ ages effectively. Ofcom, the media and internet regulator, enforces this under the Online Safety Act. Breaking the rules can lead to a fine of up to £18 million or 10% of a company’s global revenue, whichever is higher.
We checked how this works in practice. Ofcom’s chief executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, spoke about it before the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS Committee). Her remarks were reported by LBC radio on 20 October 2026.
What we checked
According to LBC’s report, since March 2025 Ofcom has issued 11 financial penalties under the Online Safety Act. Two have been paid. One is under appeal, and another is not yet overdue. In total, nine fines remain unpaid.
However, this does not mean that nine services carry on as if nothing had happened. Of those nine, two services have since introduced effective age checks and four have blocked access from the UK (so-called geo-blocking). According to Ofcom’s chief executive, three services that have not mitigated the risks remain available in the UK.
Ofcom has opened 41 investigations in total. More than half have already been closed.
What the official documents show
Ofcom’s website shows what such cases look like. For example, on 27 May 2026 the regulator fined the operator of four adult websites £600,000: £500,000 for failing to check ages and £100,000 for a late reply to an information request. Ofcom says that if a company does not pay, it can ask a court to order payment providers and advertisers to cut it off, or even for the site to be blocked by UK internet providers.
What is confirmed and what is not
Confirmed: the age-check requirement has applied since July 2025; Ofcom issues fines and publishes its decisions; the law provides for fines of up to £18 million or 10% of revenue.
From media reports: the figures of 11 fines, 9 unpaid and 41 investigations come from Ofcom’s chief executive as reported by LBC. We have not yet found these figures brought together in a single Ofcom document.
Our conclusion: fines alone are not enough when a company operates abroad and does not pay. The real effect is more often a block or the introduction of age checks. For parents, this is a signal that the rules help, but they will not replace settings at home.
What it means for you
If you have school-age children, do not assume the law will block all harmful content. Some services operate beyond the reach of UK courts. Ofcom representatives told parliamentarians as early as 2025 that VPN use, which can bypass blocks, rose after age checks were introduced.
What to do
- Switch on parental filters with your internet provider and on your child’s phone. Guide: Internet Matters – parental controls.
- Talk to your child about what they see online – without scaring them.
- You can report a harmful service to Ofcom: ofcom.org.uk/online-safety.
Sources: LBC (20 October 2026); Ofcom (27 May 2026); Ofcom – penalty levels.
We assess factual corrections and substantive responses. Verified changes are reflected in our reporting.
Contact the editorial desk →
