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British regulators are investigating OnlyFans, a streaming platform used by sex workers, over concerns that the site’s age verification process does not prevent children from accessing pornography.
Ofcom said on Wednesday that OnlyFans, the UK’s largest adult content hosting site, may have failed to provide the media regulator with “full and accurate” information about its internal measures to prevent underage use of the platform.
The investigation falls under the regulation of video sharing platforms. The regulator has been collecting data from leading companies including TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch and OnlyFans since 2021. It has the power to penalize companies for non-compliance with fines of up to 5 percent of qualifying turnover or £250,000, whichever is greater.
When people sign up to use OnlyFans, their faces are scanned using technology from government-approved service Yoti, which estimates their age.
OnlyFans had incorrectly told Ofcom that the threshold for access to view content on the site had been set at 23, which would provide a five-year buffer in the event that users appeared older than their age. However, technology had actually set the threshold at 20 years.
London-based OnlyFans, owned by Fenix International, said it changed its report to Ofcom when it discovered the error, which it attributed to a “coding configuration issue” on Wednesday.
The regulator said on Wednesday that “available evidence suggests” that the information provided was inaccurate and incomplete and “the measures taken to protect retirement.” [OnlyFans] The measures taken may not have been implemented in a way that protects those under 18 from restricted material.”
The investigation will determine whether OnlyFans broke the law, and the regulator expects to provide an update in August. Ofcom is also investigating TikTok in a similar case where it provided inaccurate parental control information, which the Chinese app said was due to a technical issue.
OnlyFans said it had worked closely with Ofcom “to implement and develop best practices for online safety, including the use of age protection technology”.
“In addition to requiring all users to provide their name and payment card details, OnlyFans uses the government-approved pension provider Yoti,” it continues.
This research relates to UK-based “fans” who consume content on the site and not to content creators who provide their date of birth on their government-issued ID as part of identity verification.
Next week, the regulator is expected to publish codes of practice for platforms designed to protect children online and comply with the UK’s new online safety law.
The legislation is widely considered to be one of the strictest online regulations in the world. It gives Ofcom greater powers to hold tech companies to account for breaches of the law, particularly where there is a risk of harm to under-18s, including criminal liability for named executives.