Britain’s media watchdog Ofcom has closed its investigation into whether OnlyFans was failing to prevent under-18s from accessing adult content on its platform. However, the regulator will continue a separate probe into whether the company provided complete and accurate responses to official information requests.

Ofcom first launched its investigation in May 2024, questioning whether Fenix International, the parent company of OnlyFans, had sufficient age verification measures to block minors from accessing pornography on the platform.

At the time, Ofcom expressed concerns that age assurance technology on the site was failing to prevent underage access effectively. The inquiry also examined whether OnlyFans had misrepresented or omitted information when responding to regulatory inquiries.

However, on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Ofcom officially closed its investigation into OnlyFans’ ability to prevent underage users from viewing explicit content.

While Ofcom made no formal findings of non-compliance, the regulator emphasized that it reserves the right to reopen the investigation if further evidence emerges.

“Where appropriate, Ofcom’s supervision team will continue to engage with OnlyFans around the way it implements measures to protect children from restricted material,” the regulator stated.

Despite the closure of the age verification probe, Ofcom will continue investigating whether OnlyFans failed to provide accurate and complete responses to its information requests. The company remains under regulatory scrutiny, particularly regarding its transparency and compliance with the UK’s Video Sharing Platform (VSP) regime.

Keily Blair, CEO of OnlyFans, welcomed Ofcom’s decision, affirming the company’s commitment to age verification and online safety.

“Yesterday, Ofcom announced it has closed its investigation into whether OnlyFans had implemented sufficient measures to protect under-18s from accessing adult content. We welcome that decision.”

Blair clarified that OnlyFans has been regulated by Ofcom under the VSP regime since 2021 and has worked to meet UK safety standards. She also revealed that the company self-reported a coding error in its age assurance system, which mistakenly set the verification threshold to 20 instead of 23 years old.

“We take those responsibilities seriously. Since 2021, OnlyFans has had age assurance technology in place for all UK Fans. This is separate from our detailed creator onboarding process (think bank KYC on steroids).”

OnlyFans uses Yoti, a government-approved age-assurance provider, to verify UK users are over 18 before granting access. The company emphasized that at no point was the threshold below 20, arguing that its measures have always met regulatory requirements.

OnlyFans, which boasts over 300 million users worldwide, is among several adult content platforms facing increasing scrutiny from governments and regulators.

The UK’s Online Safety Act, set to take full effect in 2025, will introduce stricter requirements for digital platforms, including more robust age verification mandates for adult content. While OnlyFans has avoided sanctions in this case, it remains closely monitored by Ofcom and UK authorities.

The remaining investigation into OnlyFans’ transparency in regulatory reporting suggests the platform could still face penalties if found to have withheld or misrepresented information.

The company celebrates a partial victory for now, but its compliance with upcoming online safety laws will continue to be tested.