Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, has levied significant fines against two companies: Kick Online Entertainment SA, a porn site, and the message board 4chan, while the head of global ports operator DP World resigned amid scrutiny. These developments highlight ongoing issues related to online safety, corporate governance, and political activism.
Kick Online Entertainment SA was fined £800,000 for failing to implement "highly effective" age verification measures, according to BBC Technology. The company was found to be non-compliant with the law between July and December 2025. Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, stated that age verification was "non-negotiable" for adult sites. Meanwhile, 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 a separate development, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the head of Dubai-based ports giant DP World, resigned "effective immediately" following the revelation of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released files showed Sulayem exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein over a decade, according to BBC Business. While being mentioned in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, the pressure mounted, leading to his departure. Essa Kazim and Yuvraj Narayan have been appointed as chairman and chief executive, respectively.
Prince Andrew is also facing scrutiny. He is accused of sharing a Treasury briefing with a business contact, according to BBC Business. Emails published in the Telegraph suggest that in 2010, then Prince Andrew requested information from Treasury officials on banking problems in Iceland. This briefing was then shared with Jonathan Rowland, a business connection whose father took over part of a failing Icelandic bank. This adds to the pressure on the former prince over claims of misusing his public role.
In other news, Amazon's Ring has ended its deal with surveillance firm Flock Safety after facing backlash over privacy practices, as reported by BBC Business. The agreement, announced in October, would have allowed agencies working with Flock to retrieve video captured on Ring devices. The decision to cancel the deal came after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl sparked widespread criticism.
Finally, the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, stated that the UK government's ban on the group "backfired" after the High Court ruled that proscribing the group as a terror organization was unlawful, according to Al Jazeera.
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