Ofcom has fined a porn company £800,000 for failing to implement proper age verification measures, while also facing a legal challenge from bereaved families against major tech companies, and a theme park operator has reversed a decision on disability access. These are among the latest developments in the news, as reported by the BBC.
Kick Online Entertainment SA was penalized £800,000 by the media regulator Ofcom for failing to ensure that UK visitors to its pornographic website were over 18. According to Ofcom, the company did not have "highly effective" methods to verify the ages of its users between July and December 2025. Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, stated that age verification was "non-negotiable." Meanwhile, message board 4chan faces a £520,000 fine for non-compliance with the UK's Online Safety Law, though its lawyer claims the company will not pay.
In other news, Prince Harry expressed his support for bereaved families who are taking legal action against two of the world's largest tech companies. The Duke of Sussex thanked the families for "telling your stories over and over again" during an emotional address at the start of a trial in California. The families allege that Instagram and YouTube are designed to be addictive. Lawyers for YouTube and Meta, which owns Instagram, reject these claims. Prince Harry expressed hope for "truth, justice and accountability" in footage shared.
In the business sector, the developer of the multiplayer shooter game "Highguard" laid off staff just two weeks after the game's release. The game, which was given a prominent spot at The Game Awards, struggled to retain players after its January launch. The developer, Wildlight Entertainment, confirmed the layoffs in a statement.
Capita, the company administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme, has apologized for a backlog that has left thousands of retired civil servants without pension payments. Richard Holroyd, chief executive of Capital Public Services, told a committee of MPs that the backlog of cases, which had grown to 120,000, "overwhelmed" the company. Capita took over the administration in December and inherited a backlog of 86,000 cases and over 15,000 unread emails.
Finally, Merlin Entertainments has reversed its plan to restrict access to its Ride Access Pass (RAP) at its theme parks, including Alton Towers, following criticism from people with autism, ADHD, and anxiety. The company had planned to introduce new eligibility rules for the RAP, which provides a non-queueing option for those unable to stand in long lines. Merlin stated it had "listened carefully to the extensive feedback" and decided to "pause the trial while."
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