Porn websites must introduce age checks by July 2025, under new Ofcom rules
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Ofcom has published industry guidance on effective age checks to prevent children from encountering online porn
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Pornography services must introduce age checks by July 2025 at the latest
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Enforcement programme opening to monitor industry compliance
Ofcom today (January 16th 2025) published new industry guidance on age verification for online services, a crucial step in implementing the Online Safety Act. The guidance aims to prevent children from encountering harmful content, particularly online pornography.
Under the new rules, services hosting pornography must introduce robust age verification checks by July 2025. This includes services that publish their own pornographic content, as well as user-to-user platforms that allow users to share such content.
Ofcom has emphasized the need for “highly effective” age assurance methods, including options like photo ID matching, age estimation, and open banking. Self-declaration of age and online payments that do not require age verification will not be considered sufficient.
The guidance also requires all user-to-user services to conduct a children’s access assessment to determine if their platform is likely to be accessed by children. These services must then implement measures to protect children from harm, which may include age verification.
Ofcom has warned that failure to comply with these new regulations will result in enforcement action. This move marks a significant step towards creating a safer online environment for children in the UK.
“For too long, many online services have ignored the fact that children are accessing their services,” said Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive. “Today, this starts to change.”
Adds Lina Ghazal, Head of Regulatory and Public Affairs at Verifymy:
“The Online Safety Act is set to make 2025 the biggest year for age verification since the Intoxicating Liquor (Sale to Persons under Eighteen) Act 1923 passed over 100 years ago. Ofcom’s announcement today is a pivotal moment in the fight to make the internet a safer place, particularly for children.
“The regulator’s long-awaited guidance on age assurance means adult content providers now have the clarity they need to get their houses in order and put in place robust and reliable methods to keep explicit material well away from underage users.”
Ofcom Statement: Age Assurance and Children’s Access
