The United Kingdom’s communications regulator, Ofcom, has launched an investigation into OnlyFans, a popular online adult content subscription service. The investigation stems from concerns that OnlyFans may have failed to implement sufficient age-verification measures to prevent children from accessing pornographic material through the platform.
Ofcom, which is responsible for regulating the UK’s broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal industries, has reason to believe that OnlyFans’ parent company, Fenix International Limited, may have failed to adequately implement age-verification measures. The regulator is also examining whether Fenix may have provided incomplete or inaccurate information in response to two information request notices issued by Ofcom, one in June 2022 and another in June 2023. These requests were intended to inform a planned Ofcom report on how video-sharing platforms (VSPs) like OnlyFans were protecting children from restricted content.
However, Ofcom has stated that “the available evidence suggests that the information provided by OnlyFans in response to the two notices may not have been complete and accurate, and that the age assurance measures it had taken may not have been implemented in such a way as to protect under 18s from restricted material.”
An OnlyFans spokesperson has stated that in addition to requiring all users to provide their name and payment card details, the company utilizes Yoti, a government-approved age-assurance provider. A “coding configuration issue” with Yoti resulted in a reporting error that indicated an incorrect age threshold of 23 years of age, whereas the company had set it to 20 years of age. The spokesperson emphasized, however, that the threshold was always above the legal age of 18.
“OnlyFans discovered the reporting error and proactively amended our report to Ofcom,” the spokesperson said in a statement issued to TechCrunch. “As the leading U.K.-based and regulated social media platform, OnlyFans works closely with Ofcom to implement and develop best-practices on online safety, including the use of age-assurance technology.”
This investigation highlights concerns about protecting younger internet users from harmful content. The UK has recently introduced new regulations under the Online Safety Act to govern online speech and media, but these rules will not come into effect until later this year. Consequently, Ofcom is conducting its investigation under existing regulations (the Communications Act 2003), which were amended in 2020 to require VSPs based in the UK to implement “appropriate measures to prevent under-18s from accessing pornographic material.”
It is important to note that Ofcom’s investigation pertains specifically to UK “fans” accessing the OnlyFans platform, and not to the content creators themselves, who are required to provide identification to verify their identity during the onboarding process.
