Ofcom has fined the operator of the porn site Fapello £630,000 for failing to introduce any age checks, and simultaneously launched an investigation into TikTok over concerns it may be failing to protect children from harmful content.
The fine, announced on Thursday, comprises £600,000 for not using age verification methods and an additional £30,000 penalty for failing to respond to the regulator’s requests for information on time.
“Ofcom fines Fapello £630,000 for no age checks and probes TikTok over child safety.”
“Age checks are no longer optional for porn sites in the UK,” said George Lusty, director of enforcement at Ofcom. “They are a cornerstone of our laws to protect children from content they should not be seeing.”
The regulator opened an investigation into the Fapello operator in November. While the site has since blocked UK visitors, Ofcom said it will continue to monitor compliance.
The fine is the latest in a series of enforcement actions by Ofcom. In May, it fined porn company YoungTek Solutions £600,000 for the same failing. Earlier, it levied a £1.35m fine on another adult site operator. However, the regulator has faced scrutiny over the effectiveness of its enforcement: it was revealed in December that Ofcom had never received a response from a firm handed a £1m fine, prompting questions about whether monetary penalties are enough.
Ofcom is also in an ongoing dispute with the online message board 4chan, which has refused to pay a £520,000 fine. A lawyer for 4chan has repeatedly mocked the regulator’s threats with AI-generated cartoon images of hamsters.
Meanwhile, Ofcom has opened a new investigation into another porn provider, Bit Hive, citing concern that one of its age check methods “may not be highly effective”.
The regulator’s actions come as it also investigates TikTok over potential failures to protect children from harmful content. The inquiry adds to a growing list of cases testing Ofcom’s powers under the UK’s age-check rules, which have required porn sites to use “highly effective” age assurance since July 2025.
Ofcom has set out a number of acceptable verification methods, including credit card checks, photo ID matching, and estimating age using a selfie. Whatever platforms choose, they must be “technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair”, the regulator says.
With Bit Hive now under scrutiny and TikTok facing a formal probe, the question remains whether fines alone can compel compliance – or whether more aggressive enforcement will be needed to protect children online.