Ofcom had also fined AVS an extra £50,000 for not responding to its emails since its investigation began in July. The UK's Online Safety Act makes it a legal requirement for websites that host pornographic material to put in place what the regulator determines to be "highly effective age assurance" to prevent children from being able to easily access explicit content. A recent Ofcom report into the UK's media habits found VPN usage more than doubled after the start of age check requirements, rising from roughly 650,000 daily users before July and peaking at over 1.4 million in mid-August 2025.