The United Kingdom’s communications regulator, Ofcom, announced Thursday that providers of online pornography are actively rolling out age assurance technologies across thousands of websites accessible in the U.K., marking a major step in the enforcement of the Online Safety Act (OSA).

According to a statement released by the regulator, Ofcom has contacted hundreds of providers earlier this year, urging compliance with Part 5 of the OSA, which requires platforms hosting pornographic content to introduce “highly effective” age assurance to restrict minors from accessing such material.

“So far, we have had positive engagement from across the sector and a number of providers have implemented highly effective age assurance in response to our enforcement programme,” the statement reads.

Ofcom did not disclose the names of the companies contacted or which sites had begun compliance. A spokesperson noted that the regulator is in direct engagement with providers and is currently reviewing compliance plans and implementation timelines, some of which are still being verified.

Services that have failed to respond or act, Ofcom added, have already been referred to the agency’s enforcement team, which will consider potential formal enforcement action in the coming weeks.

“Details of any new investigations will be published on our website,” the regulator confirmed.

The Online Safety Act, which became law in 2023, sets July 2025 as the deadline for full compliance. At that point, all platforms providing pornographic content — including those allowing user-generated material — must have age checks in place.

Ofcom released its age assurance guidelines in January, and has since carried out sector-wide outreach to raise awareness among publishers and platforms.

The regulator emphasized that compliance is mandatory and essential to meeting the OSA’s core aim: protecting children from harmful content online.

The agency’s actions follow increased pressure on both domestic and international adult content providers to ensure robust, privacy-conscious systems that can verify users’ age without compromising sensitive data.

While Ofcom has praised early cooperation from parts of the adult industry, it signaled that non-compliance will trigger investigations, and potentially significant penalties, under its expanding regulatory authority.

By mid-2025, all pornographic services accessible from the U.K. must have what Ofcom terms “highly effective” age-checks in place. These measures are expected to meet recognized international standards and may include facial estimation technologies, document verification, or certified third-party tools.

Ofcom’s enforcement strategy — combining guidance, direct communication, and legal obligations — is intended to ensure broad compliance across a global industry with historically limited oversight.

Additional enforcement updates and investigation outcomes will be published on the Ofcom website as the regulator continues its implementation of the Online Safety Act.