Ofcom, the UK’s internet and communications regulator, has fined Itai Tech Ltd £50,000 for failing to implement adequate age verification measures on its nudification website, Undress.cc. The site uses artificial intelligence to digitally remove clothing from images, effectively creating nude representations of the subjects. This fine is part of Ofcom's broader enforcement efforts under the Online Safety Act, aimed at protecting children from harmful pornographic content online. Alongside the primary fine, Itai Tech received an additional £5,000 penalty for failing to comply with a statutory information request during the regulator’s investigation.
The fine reflects Ofcom’s assessment that Itai Tech did not meet its obligations under the law to verify that users accessing pornographic content are over 18. The penalty also took into account the fact that Itai Tech restricted access to UK users shortly after the investigation began, an action seen as a mitigating factor. Ofcom emphasised that the use of "highly effective age assurance" is non-negotiable in preventing children’s exposure to harmful content, and enforcement will be robust against failures to comply.
This action against Itai Tech forms part of a wider crackdown, with Ofcom revealing ongoing investigations into five companies operating a total of 20 pornography sites for similar lapses in age verification. These companies include providers of sites such as xxbrits, porntrex, fapello.com, and hqporner.com. Ofcom has made clear that it expects all providers of adult content accessible in the UK to adopt stringent age-checking processes or face significant fines and other enforcement measures.
The regulatory crackdown also includes the notable £20,000 fine imposed on the US-based imageboard 4chan Community Support LLC earlier this month. 4chan was penalised for failing to comply with Ofcom’s requests for documentation related to its risk assessment of illegal content. The penalty marks the first fine under the Online Safety Act and comes with a daily penalty regime should the site continue to fail to meet its statutory information obligations. Further non-compliance could result in blocked access to the site within the UK.
The enforcement against 4chan and other overseas platforms, including a recent lawsuit filed by 4chan and Kiwi Farms in the US challenging Ofcom’s online safety demands on free speech grounds, illustrates the growing tensions between UK regulatory efforts and platforms based outside its jurisdiction. These forums argue that Ofcom’s measures infringe on First Amendment protections in the US, despite the overwhelming UK legal mandate to protect children and users from harmful online content.
Overall, Ofcom’s vigorous approach signals a clear message to operators of adult content sites: rigorous age verification standards and full regulatory cooperation are mandatory under the Online Safety Act. Failure to comply will result in substantial fines and possible access restrictions, reinforcing the UK government’s commitment to safer internet experiences, particularly for children.
📌 Reference Map:
- [1] (AOL) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4
- [2] (Ofcom Official) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3
- [3] (Ofcom Official Investigation) - Paragraph 1, 2
- [4] (Ofcom Official - 4chan fine) - Paragraph 5
- [5] (The Independent) - Paragraphs 1, 3
- [6] (Reuters) - Paragraph 5, 6
- [7] (Reuters) - Paragraph 6
Source: Noah Wire Services