Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, has fined a porn site £800,000 for failing to implement proper age verification measures, while the head of global ports operator DP World resigned amid scrutiny over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. These developments come as other businesses and individuals face their own challenges, including Amazon's Ring ending a deal with a surveillance firm after backlash and reports surfacing that Prince Andrew shared a Treasury document with a business contact.
Kick Online Entertainment SA, the porn site, was penalized for not having "highly effective" methods to verify that UK visitors were over 18, according to Ofcom. The regulator stated that the company was not complying with the law between July and December 2025. Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, emphasized that it was "non-negotiable" for adult sites to have robust age verification. Meanwhile, message board 4chan faces a £520,000 fine for non-compliance with the UK's Online Safety Law, though its lawyer indicated the company would not pay.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the head of DP World, stepped down "effective immediately" following the release of files that revealed he exchanged numerous emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While being mentioned in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, the pressure mounted, leading to his resignation. Essa Kazim has been named chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as chief executive.
Prince Andrew is also facing scrutiny. He is accused of sharing an official Treasury document with Jonathan Rowland, a business contact. Emails published in the Telegraph suggest that in 2010, then Prince Andrew requested information from Treasury officials on banking problems in Iceland, which was then shared with Rowland. This has raised further concerns about the misuse of his public role.
In other business news, Amazon's Ring decided to end its partnership with Flock Safety, a surveillance firm. The deal, announced in October, would have allowed agencies working with Flock to access video captured on Ring devices. The decision followed backlash over privacy practices, particularly after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl.
Separately, Heathrow Airport's boss addressed concerns about overcrowding, stating that the terminal is not crowded, but people are walking in the "wrong place." Thomas Woldbye noted that British people tend to keep to the left, while Europeans keep to the right, creating the impression of congestion.
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