Ofcom investigating porn sites for having 'ineffective' age checks

Ofcom has launched a probe into two pornographic websites for a suspected breach of the Online Safety Act (OSA).

Itai Tech Ltd Ltd, owner of site Undress.cc – a free AI-powered tool that removes clothes of individuals in images - and Score Internet Group LLC which runs the site Scoreland.com, are being investigated after they failed to provide the regulator with details on their age checks.

Earlier this year, Ofcom issued guidance as part of its phased implementation of the OSA, warning websites offering pornographic content would be required to have “robust” age-verification techniques in place from July to prevent children from accessing their services.

Ofcom said around 1,300 services complied with the information request and confirmed they are either introducing or have plans to introduce age verification systems.

But two sites failed to respond to the request, triggering an investigation.

Ofcom said the two services “appear to have no highly effective” age checks in place and have “potentially” failed to comply with their duty to protect children under the new online safety rules.

Services in breach of the act face huge fines of up to 10 per cent of their global turnover and could even risk being blocked in the UK.

The Ofcom guidance lists various methods it considers “capable” of being suitable age checks, including open banking, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, but is clear that self-declaration of age is not an appropriate technique.

The guidance followed from a report by the Children’s Commissioner showing that the average age children first encounter porn is 13 years-old.

The watchdog said it will provide an update on the investigations “in due course”.