Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, has levied significant fines against two companies and launched an investigation into a media takeover, while other developments include layoffs at a game developer and a pension backlog. Kick Online Entertainment SA, a pornographic website, was fined £800,000 for failing to implement adequate age verification measures, according to BBC Technology. Meanwhile, the government ordered a probe into the Daily Mail owner's proposed £500 million takeover of the Telegraph, citing public interest and competition concerns, as reported by BBC Business.
Kick Online Entertainment was penalized for not having "highly effective" methods to ensure UK visitors were over 18, as stated by Ofcom. The regulator noted that the company has since introduced age checks, but was non-compliant between July and December 2025. In a separate development, message board 4chan faces a £520,000 fine for failing to comply with the UK's Online Safety Law, according to its lawyer, who indicated the company would not pay.
In other news, the developer of the multiplayer shooter "Highguard," Wildlight Entertainment, laid off staff just two weeks after the game's release, as reported by BBC Technology. The game, which was featured at The Game Awards, struggled to retain players after its January launch. The developer confirmed the layoffs in a statement.
The government's investigation into the Daily Mail owner's takeover of the Telegraph was prompted by concerns about the potential impact on the "plurality of views" in the UK media, as stated by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, according to BBC Business. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will assess competition issues, while Ofcom will examine the public interest impact.
In addition, Capita, which took over the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December, is facing a backlog of pension cases. The company inherited 86,000 cases and over 15,000 unread emails, but this has since expanded to 120,000 cases, according to BBC Business. Richard Holroyd, chief executive of Capital Public Services, told a committee of MPs that the backlog "overwhelmed" the company, which has almost doubled its staff working on the scheme.
Furthermore, Prince Harry expressed support for bereaved families who are challenging social media firms in court, as reported by BBC Technology. He thanked the families for "telling your stories over and over again" during a trial examining whether Instagram and YouTube damage young people's mental health. The families allege the platforms are addictive by design.
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