LONDON — ATVOD, the U.K. video-on-demand authority charged with requiring VOD operators to make sure those under 18 can't access hardcore porn, has acted against two U.K. porn sites — solo-girl site DaisyRockUK.com and live-cam site SheBang.tv.
Both U.K. sites were charged today with violating Rule 11, which requires an effective credit card system that verifies that the user is 18 or over at the point of registration or access by the mandatory use of technical tools for age verification, and could face civil fines.
According to ATVOD findings, the sites offered free access “preview” videos to some material containing hardcore R18-equivalent material.
“The services allowed under 18s access to explicit hardcore porn videos which could be viewed on-demand,” ATVOD officials said. “Yet the content of the videos was equivalent to that which could be sold only to adults in licensed sex shops if supplied on DVD.”
ATVOD officials told XBIZ that the operator of DaisyRockUK.com acted to put porn material out of reach of children once notified of the violation and also lodged an appeal with Ofcom against a separate ATVOD decision that the site VOD service falls within the scope of statutory rules.
The operator of SheBang.tv, however, failed to become fully compliant in accordance with a timetable set by ATVOD, the regulator said, and has been referred to Ofcom for consideration of a sanction.
The website, which offers live cam shows and bills itself as “The Home of Hardcore,” also used Clips4Sale to offer its content, ATVOD officials said.
ATVOD released its findings over DaisyRockUK.com and SheBang.tv on Safer Internet Day, the U.K. VOD regulator said, noting that it has acted against more than 170 porn sites over the past three years “for failing to protect children.”