One of our priorities for the second year of the video-sharing platform (VSP) regime is to promote the implementation of robust age assurance, so that children are protected from the most harmful content. In October 2022, we published our report on the
first year of VSP regulation . The report highlighted that many platforms that specialise in videos containing pornographic material (or "adult VSPs") do not appear to have measures that are robust enough to stop children accessing pornographic
material. Today Ofcom is opening an enforcement programme into age assurance measures across the adult VSP sector. Our objectives for this programme are:
to assess the age assurance measures implemented by notified adult VSPs, to ensure they are sufficiently robust to prevent under-18s from accessing videos containing pornographic material; to identify
whether there are other platforms in the adult VSP sector that may fall in scope of the VSP regime but:
have not yet notified their service to Ofcom, as required under the VSP framework (see more below); and may not have appropriate measures in place to protect under-18s from pornographic content; and
to understand from providers of adult VSP services the challenges they have faced when considering implementing any age assurance measures. This will also help us build a picture of what measures work and are proportionate to
expect from different VSPs, in line with our strategic priority of driving forward the implementation of robust age assurance.
The programme will seek to determine the scale of any compliance concerns in respect of notified and non-notified adult VSPs. We will then decide whether any further action (including enforcement) is needed, and how best to address
potential harm.
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