Legal Attacks

LONDON—Ofcom, the U.K.’s digital communications regulator, announced Thursday that it has opened new enforcement investigations into 22 adult tube sites accused of failing to implement mandatory age-verification measures. The platforms are operated by five parent companies based across multiple countries.

“These sites have been prioritized based on the risk of harm they pose and their user numbers, including where there have been significant increases in their user numbers since the 25 July deadline,” Ofcom said in a statement. Together, the sites attract more than 8 million unique U.K. visitors each month.

The companies now under investigation include Cyberitic, LLC; Web Prime Inc.; Youngtek Solutions Ltd.; ZD Media s.r.o.; and the operator of xgroovy.com. Many of the websites under scrutiny appear to be iterations of master scripts used within the affiliate marketing sector of the adult industry, designed to drive and monetize traffic.

For instance, Web Prime Inc. runs multiple tube sites—anysex.com, fapality.com, mylust.com, xcafe.com, and yourlust.com—two of which share nearly identical designs. Such duplication is a common tactic among affiliates seeking to maximize reach.

Ofcom also confirmed that it has expanded existing probes into two additional parent companies, 8579 LLC and Itai Tech Ltd. Norwich-based Itai Tech operates Undress.cc, a deepfake “nudify” app. Like other operators under review, 8579 LLC also runs a series of clone-style sites.

“In addition to assessing their compliance with age-verification requirements for pornographic content, we are now investigating whether these companies have failed to respond adequately to statutory information requests from Ofcom,” the regulator said.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, announced Thursday that the state’s age verification regulation for online adult platforms will officially take effect on November 30, 2025.

“This rule is a milestone in our effort to protect Missouri children from the devastating harms of online pornography,” Hanaway said. “We are holding powerful corporations accountable, respecting women and victims of human trafficking, and helping ensure that minors are shielded from dangerous, sexually explicit material.”

The measure, grounded in Missouri’s consumer protection laws, finalizes a regulatory process first initiated by Hanaway’s predecessor, Andrew Bailey. Bailey’s attempt to advance the rule faced criticism for disorganization and for relying on technology that experts said did not exist.

In April, AVN reported that Bailey had advanced a version of the regulation requiring “dual-level” age verification for all websites deemed harmful to minors—a category that includes sexually explicit material. But according to Iain Corby, executive director of the Age Verification Providers Association, dual-level verification remains technically impossible. While Bailey’s regulation was published in the Missouri Register, the final text omitted references to that requirement.

Industry stakeholders, including the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), had predicted the earlier version of the rule would not take effect by the projected August 30 deadline, noting that “the final rules were not published in time.”

Hanaway has now completed the rulemaking process, making Missouri the first state to mandate age verification for adult websites through regulatory action rather than legislation.

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner announced Tuesday that age verification will now be required for users accessing pornography platforms in Australia’s digital space.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant introduced nine new industry codes aimed at shielding minors from what she described as “lawful but awful” content—material that is legal but potentially harmful, such as online pornography and sexual artificial intelligence companions.

“We’ve been concerned about these chatbots for a while now and have heard anecdotal reports of children—some as young as 10—spending up to five hours per day conversing, at times sexually, with AI companions,” Grant said. “We know there has been a recent proliferation of these apps online and that many of them are free, accessible to children, and advertised on mainstream services, so these codes must include measures to protect children from them.”

Under the new rules, parent companies behind adult content platforms must implement “appropriate age assurance measures.” Acceptable methods include identity checks, credit card verification, biometric age estimation powered by AI, and similar technologies.

Noncompliance could result in civil penalties running into the millions of dollars. Companies are also required to test and monitor the effectiveness of their age verification systems on an ongoing basis, according to reports from News.com.au and Crikey.

Bluesky confirmed Wednesday that it has begun implementing age verification for users in Wyoming and South Dakota, citing compliance with newly enacted state-level statutes on age checks and social media safety.

“Bluesky users in South Dakota and Wyoming can choose from multiple methods to verify their age. We believe this approach currently strikes the right balance,” the company said in a statement. “Bluesky will remain available to users in these states, and we will not need to restrict the app for everyone.”

The platform added that it intends to keep its community informed as it adapts to shifting regulatory requirements.

To manage compliance, Bluesky is utilizing Kids Web Services (KWS), an age assurance system developed by Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite.

The move follows last month’s announcement that users in Mississippi would be blocked from accessing Bluesky altogether due to legal challenges surrounding the state’s social media age verification law, which is currently the subject of federal litigation.

Bluesky has become a favored platform among adult creators and studios, in part because of its relatively permissive approach to nudity and explicit content.

19thnews.org discussed issues with the age verification laws for gay adult industry workers.

Laws requiring proof of age before accessing sexually explicit content online are jeopardizing the livelihoods of adult content creators — with queer and trans creators facing the steepest challenges.

So far, twenty-five states have enacted measures that force users to verify their age by uploading a government-issued ID, submitting to facial scans, or confirming banking details. While many of these laws target websites where at least one-third of content is sexually explicit, newer versions expand the scope to include social media platforms or virtually any site hosting explicit material.

Most public debate has centered on the risks to users, who are reluctant to hand over sensitive documents just to view adult content. With weak privacy safeguards and no comprehensive U.S. privacy law comparable to those in the U.K. or the European Union, these systems expose users’ most personal data — from biometrics to names and addresses — to largely unregulated third-party vendors.

An article from Reason Magazine discussed the many issues with age verification.

As more regions worldwide — including several U.S. states — roll out laws requiring age verification online, the ripple effects continue to mount. The latest developments include U.S. residents losing access to a blogging platform, French users facing risks of their porn-viewing data being exposed, and noncompliant porn sites in the U.K. gaining major traffic boosts.

Let’s start with what’s happening in the U.S.

In Mississippi, another website has begun blocking local users in response to the state’s new age verification and online harm prevention law.

This follows earlier fallout, such as the social media platform Bluesky cutting off access to Mississippi residents.

Now, Dreamwidth Studios — a blogging platform geared toward artists and one of the plaintiffs in a NetChoice challenge to the Mississippi law — has also restricted access for Mississippi users, while additionally barring minors in Tennessee from creating new accounts.

Do you want me to make a sharper, news-style rewrite (shorter sentences, more punch), or a policy-analysis rewrite(heavier on context and implications)?

SALT LAKE CITY — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection have reached a proposed settlement with Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, requiring the company to pay $5 million in civil penalties and commit to ongoing compliance measures.

Filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, the stipulated order resolves allegations that Aylo engaged in deceptive and unfair practices by failing to adequately prevent the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and nonconsensual material (NCM) on its platforms, despite claiming such content was strictly prohibited. Regulators cited occurrences largely predating 2021, prior to Aylo’s 2023 acquisition by Ethical Capital Partners, which rebranded the company and introduced reforms.

Under the agreement, Aylo will pay $5 million, with an additional $10 million in penalties suspended contingent on compliance. The company also agreed to biennial third-party compliance audits for the next decade. The measures outlined in the settlement — including age verification for uploaders and performers, consent verification, and reporting mechanisms — are already in place at Aylo, according to company representatives.

“Pornhub’s operators turned a blind eye to the proliferation of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children on its sites so it could profit off this exploitation,” said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Under the order we’re announcing today, Pornhub’s operators will be required to take concrete steps to block this harmful content and ensure that those who appear in videos on their sites are consenting adults.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox praised the settlement, stating he was “grateful to the FTC and our Division of Consumer Protection for their work to safeguard Utah’s children and families.”

Aylo, however, emphasized that the FTC’s allegations are tied to policies predating its current ownership and reforms. “All of the FTC’s complaints stem from 2020 or earlier,” a spokesperson told reporters. “Since that era, Aylo has implemented trust and safety measures that, according to third-party data, place us among the safest platforms on the internet.”

The company added that the settlement does not introduce new obligations beyond its existing measures. “This resolution involved enhancements to existing practices but did not introduce new substantive requirements,” Aylo said. “Aylo maintains a zero-tolerance policy for illegal content, and this agreement underscores our dedication to upholding high standards of trust and safety in the industry.”

The case builds on previous federal oversight, including a deferred prosecution agreement Aylo entered into with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, requiring independent monitoring and restitution tied to the GirlsDoPorn sex trafficking investigation.

The Australian government has done a test on their age verification system that won’t allow teens under 16 to access social media. They have released the results.

Australian Gov’t Releases Results of Age Assurance Tech Review AVN

The government of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Sunday the final results of the national Age Assurance Technology Test (AATT).

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avn.com

Ofcom is investigating the site PornHaven AI for not complying with the UK’s Online Safety Act.

Ofcom Investigating Parent Company of PornHaven AI AVN

Ofcom, the United Kingdom's digital regulator, announced Thursday that it is investigating the parent company of NSFW artificial intelligence platform PornHaven AI for failing to comply with the country's sweeping Online Safety Act and its age verification requirements.

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avn.com

The parent companies of 4chan and Kiwi Farms have sued Ofcom in US Federal Court.

Troll Websites Sue the United Kingdom’s Ofcom in Federal Court AVN

The parent companies of two trolling web forum websites have sued the United Kingdom's digital regulator, Ofcom, in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, AVN learned on Thursday.

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