Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has fined Fenix International, the parent company of OnlyFans, £1.05 million for providing inaccurate information regarding its age verification processes. The penalty relates to an investigation into OnlyFans' efforts to protect minors from accessing adult content using powers that pre-date the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA).
Ofcom requested information about OnlyFans' age verification procedures, including any technology the company uses, in June 2022 and 2023. Fenix incorrectly stated that its facial age estimation tool, which requires users to upload a selfie to estimate their age, would flag anyone who appeared under 23, despite actually being set to flag under 20-year-olds.
In taking over 16 months to identify the error, Ofcom found that Fenix lacked proper fact-checking processes and failed to provide accurate information required by monitoring video-sharing platforms in order to comply with child protection regulations.
The £1.05 million fine will be paid to the UK Treasury.
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