Playboy TV Fined £100,000 by British Regulators

LONDON — Playboy TV has been fined £100,000 (about $160,000) by British regulator Ofcom for not having sufficient age-verification controls on its Demand Adult and Playboy TV websites.

According to reports, the Demand Adult home page displayed hardcore material without warnings or credit card controls.

The regulator hit Playboy with a £65,000 fine and said that the adult pay-TV company's failure to have proper controls to stop people under 18 from accessing two of its websites was "serious, repeated and reckless.”

Ofcom further said that porn could be viewed by anyone at the click of a button and additional content could be accessed with just a debit card.

Although the Playboy TV website had less explicit material and required users to verify their age, Ofcom said it wasn’t enough because other porn was readily available. Playboy TV was fined an additional £35,000 for that infraction.

"There are a number of controls that websites can use to verify the age of users. This includes asking for credit card details before any adult content is made accessible. Credit cards, unlike debit cards, are not available to under 18s. Playboy TV and Demand Adult had breached U.K. rules by having no effective systems in place to protect under 18s from unsuitable free and paid-for content.

"We concluded that Playboy's failure to protect children from potentially accessing these sites was serious, repeated and reckless," Ofcom said.

According to The Guardian, the Playboy TV channel was fined £110,000 in 2011 for broadcasting a series of TV ads for its adult sex chat services featuring "presenters" enticing viewers with lewd gestures.

Playboy's websites are regulated by Ofcom and the Authority for Video on Demand (ATVOD) – unlike other porn sites because they provide access to videos in a similar way to adult services broadcast on TV and fall within U.K. jurisdiction.

In December, Ofcom fined Strictly Broadband Ltd. £60,000 for failing to have effective age verification controls. The company was sold in 2012 to a U.S. company after its U.K.-based operator said he couldn't comply with Britain’s strict new rules over age verification.
Related:  

Copyright © 2024 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

ASN Lifestyle Magazine Joins Pineapple Support as Media Sponsor

ASN Lifestyle Magazine has joined the ranks of over 60 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support, partnering with the organization as a media sponsor.

Adult Industry Reacts to Trump Victory

On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump was reelected, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to reclaim the office he lost four years ago.

Fetisfy Online Fetish Marketplace Launches

Fetisfy.com, an online marketplace for users to sell fetish items, has launched.

Pineapple Support Launches 'Spill the Tea, Colombia' Community Support Event Series

Pineapple Support has launched "Spill the Tea, Colombia," a monthly, in-person community support event for adult industry professionals.

Streamster Launches 'Tip2Peep' Camera-Switching Feature

Live-streaming software provider Streamster has launched Tip2Peep, a new feature that allows viewers to switch between multiple webcam viewing angles by tipping the creator.

Tyler Wu Guests on Chaturbate's 'Sex Tales' Podcast

Tyler Wu is the latest guest on Chaturbate’s “Sex Tales” podcast, hosted by Melissa Stratton and Vanniall on the company’s “Camming Life” YouTube channel.

Fleshy to Launch Interactive Cam Site 'Eromote'

Male pleasure brand Fleshy has announced that it will launch an interactive, bidirectional cam site next month called Eromote.

XBIZ LA Show Introduces New 'Crib Crawl' Feature

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the 2025 edition of its flagship conference, the XBIZ Show, will debut a brand-new feature: Crib Crawl, offering attendees the chance to meet and greet representatives from leading brands and organizations in dedicated suites at the host venue.

Pre-Nominations Now Open for 2025 TEAs

The pre-nomination period for the 2025 Trans Erotica Awards (TEAs) is now open.

Byborg Invests $22.35M in PLBY Group

Luxembourg-based Byborg Enterprises SA is investing $22.35 million in Playboy parent company PLBY Group.

Show More