UK Regulator Ofcom Publishes 1st Edition of Online Safety Codes

UK Regulator Ofcom Publishes 1st Edition of Online Safety Codes

LONDON — U.K. communications regulator Ofcom published on Monday the first edition of its online safety codes of practice and guidance for adult websites.

The codes are part of a set of regulations to prevent illegal harms online, mandated by the recently passed Online Safety Act, due to take effect in 2025.

"The Act places new safety duties on social media firms, search engines, messaging, gaming and dating apps, and pornography and file-sharing sites," a statement from the regulator reads. "Before we can enforce these duties, we are required to produce codes of practice and industry guidance to help firms comply, following a period of public consultation."

The codes have been published four months ahead of the deadline set by the Act to allow websites time to meet compliance requirements. Final guidelines for age verification requirements will be released next month.

Dame Melanie Dawes, chief executive of Ofcom, said in the statement, "For too long, sites and apps have been unregulated, unaccountable and unwilling to prioritize people’s safety over profits. That changes from today. The safety spotlight is now firmly on tech firms, and it’s time for them to act. We’ll be watching the industry closely to ensure firms match up to the strict safety standards set for them under our first codes and guidance, with further requirements to follow swiftly in the first half of next year."

Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) Director Tim Henning, who has been consulting with Ofcom on behalf of adult industry stakeholders, urged compliance with the guidelines.

"Unlike some ‘child protection’ proposals in the U.S. and elsewhere that are thinly veiled attempts at the outright prohibition of pornography, the U.K. is leaving the door open for responsible platforms and providers to serve the needs of consenting adults," Henning said. "We hope that implementing an economically feasible and successful approach to online child protection by the U.K. will inspire other jurisdictions to find more balanced ways of meeting this universal need."

To view the full regulations, click here.

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

Sara Jay, Dan Leal to Sponsor XBIZ Amsterdam Kick-Off Event

Sara Jay’s Wyde Syde Productions and Porno Dan Leal’s Market64 will co-sponsor the Bottoms Up Day Drinking kick-off event for XBIZ Amsterdam 2025 at Excalibur Café on Sept. 2, from 2-4 p.m. (CET).

AEBN Publishes Report on DP Trends

AEBN has published a report on DP and extreme penetration categories from its straight and gay theaters.

Free Speech Coalition Appoints Megan Stokes to Board of Directors

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced today that it has appointed Megan Stokes to its Board of Directors.

FansRevenue Acquires DivaTraffic

FansRevenue has acquired web traffic service DivaTraffic.

AEBN Announces Peter Green as Top Male Boy/Girl Performer for Summer 2025

AEBN has revealed its top 10 male Boy/Girl performers for summer 2025, with Peter Green landing atop the leaderboard.

Spicey AI Relaunches Site, Debuts $Spicey Tokens

Interactive voice chat platform Spicey AI has relaunched its website and introduced $Spicey tokens.

FSC: Missouri Age Verification Rule Will Not Take Effect August 30

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced that Missouri's proposed age verification legislation will not take effect on August 30, as it had originally estimated.

Little Caprice, Marcello Bravo to Co-Host 2025 XMA Europa Awards

XBIZ is pleased to announce that husband-and-wife duo Little Caprice and Marcello Bravo will co-host adult’s biggest night in Europe: the 2025 XMA Europa Awards on Sept. 4, in the epic climax to XBIZ’s fall events series.

Germany Will Block Payments to AV-Noncompliant Adult Sites as of Dec. 1

Starting Dec. 1, Germany will implement new rules prohibiting financial institutions from providing payment services to adult sites deemed to have inadequate age verification systems and making it easier for the government to target websites mirroring the content of such sites.

Jerkmate Joins Pineapple Support as Partner-Level Sponsor

Jerkmate has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Show More