Culture & Society
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2h ago
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Ofcom Fines Porn Site, Harry Thanks Social Media Critics

Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, fined the porn company Kick Online Entertainment SA £800,000 for failing to implement adequate age verification measures, according to BBC Technology. The company did not have "highly effective" methods to ensure UK visitors were over 18 between July and December 2025, according to Ofcom. In other news, Prince Harry expressed his support for bereaved families taking legal action against major tech companies, while a game developer laid off staff shortly after a game's release, and Tesco announced plans to extend Clubcard access to under-18s. Additionally, Norwegian police searched properties owned by former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland as part of a corruption investigation.

Kick Online Entertainment has since introduced age checks, but the fine was levied for non-compliance with the law during the specified period, as reported by BBC Technology. Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, stated that it was "non-negotiable" for adult sites to have effective age verification. Meanwhile, message board 4chan will be fined £520,000 for failing to comply with the UK's Online Safety Law, though its lawyer claims the company will not pay.

Prince Harry, in an emotional address, thanked bereaved families who are challenging Instagram and YouTube, owned by Meta, for allegedly causing damage to young people's mental health. The Duke of Sussex expressed hope for "truth, justice and accountability" during the landmark trial in California, according to BBC Technology. The families allege the platforms are addictive by design, a claim rejected by lawyers for YouTube and Meta.

Wildlight Entertainment, the developer of the multiplayer shooter "Highguard," laid off staff just two weeks after the game's release, according to BBC Technology. The game, which was given a prominent slot at The Game Awards, struggled to retain players after its January launch. The developer confirmed the layoffs in a statement.

Tesco plans to make its Clubcard available to under-18s this year, according to BBC Business. The supermarket's loyalty scheme offers discounts and points that can be converted into vouchers. The decision follows campaigning from Which? urging supermarkets to broaden access to loyalty schemes. The supermarket did not elaborate on how this might work.

Norwegian police searched properties owned by former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland as part of a corruption investigation into his connections with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to Al Jazeera. The probe was initiated after documents released by the US Department of Justice in January indicated Jagland and/or members of his family may have benefited from Epstein's activities.

AI-Assisted Journalism

This article was generated with AI assistance, synthesizing reporting from multiple credible news sources. Our editorial team reviews AI-generated content for accuracy.

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