U.K.'s Ofcom Accessed Porn 4,000 Times

LONDON — U.K. media regulator Ofcom has hit porn sites more than 4,000 times in the last 90 days, a think tank investigation has revealed.

Despite Ofcom’s explanation that the reason it logged in 4,234 adult-oriented hits since June 12 was in an effort to protect children from harmful material, watchdog Parliament Street questioned the figure and pointed to staff improprieties.

One member of staff at Ofcom has reportedly been dismissed in the last five years for computer misuse that constituted a “serious breach” of the regulator’s policies, according to Parliament Street. Another employee has been issued with a final written warning for downloading a film.

But Ofcom said neither of these cases related to adult material and said its IT systems captured a diverse range of content of “varying degrees of sexual explicitness,” which could range from The Sun newspaper’s topless page three pin-ups to “explicit pornographic content."

Ofcom further said that  “attempts” to access adult content could have been recorded when an unsuspected porn pop-up appears.

“Some websites are blocked due to them containing certain keywords related to ‘adult’ content — even though the website itself is not an ‘adult’ website — therefore some of the apparent attempts to access ‘adult’ material may be a result of a slightly overzealous security algorithm,” Ofcom, said.

But Steven George-Hilley, director of technology at the think tank said the data raised questions.

“Clearly Ofcom needs to get to grips with this problem to ensure staff know not to try and access explicit content online,” George-Hilley, said.

“As a taxpayer-funded regulator of offensive content, there should be stiff penalties in place for employees who breach corporation guidelines.”

An Ofcom spokesman said, “Ofcom has a statutory duty to protect children from adult content. This requires staff in a range of departments to legitimately access online adult material. The number of times staff have accessed online adult content is consistent with meeting this duty.

“For example, Ofcom’s duty to secure broadcasting standards requires us to access and review online content that is promoted on adult TV channels, to ensure compliance with relevant rules.

“Ofcom is on the board of the U.K. Council for Child Internet Safety, which aims to protect children from access to pornography. We have also been working to ensure that children are protected from pornographic material accessed from mobile devices. It is also important to note that Ofcom’s web filtering program captures images of nudity, such as someone wearing a swimsuit or page three, as well as pornographic content.”

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Aylo Says It Will Comply With UK Age Assurance Requirements

Tech and media company Aylo, which owns various adult properties including Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, plans to introduce age assurance methods in the United Kingdom that satisfy government rules under the Online Safety Act, the company has announced.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Approves Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday passed legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

Trial Set for Lawsuit by U Wisconsin Professor Fired Over Adult Content

A trial date of June 22, 2026, has been set for the civil lawsuit filed by veteran communications professor Joe Gow against the University of Wisconsin board of regents, which fired him for creating and appearing in adult content.

New UK Task Force Meets to Target Adult Content

The architect of an influential report that recommended banning adult content deemed “degrading, violent and misogynistic” has convened an “Independent Pornography Review task force” aimed at translating that report’s findings into action in the U.K.

11:11 Creations Launches Affiliate Program

11:11 Creations principal Alicia Silver has launched 11:11 Cash for creators and affiliates.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'Self Love' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers to develop self-love.

Paysite 'RealGirlsFuck' Relaunches as 'Taboolu.com'

Producer/performer Josh Lewis has relaunched his paysite, RealGirlsFuck, as Taboolu.com.

JuicyAds Launches Summer Advertiser/Publisher Promo

JuicyAds has launched a summer promotion for advertisers and publishers.

FSC to Honor Board Chair Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Leadership

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) will honor board chair Jeffrey Douglas for his 30 years of service to the industry at an event on June 27.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for April, May

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in April and May.

Show More