A law in the United Kingdom that mandates age confirmation for individuals to access adult material might have been breached because of a programming error by the grown-ups-only video-sharing site OnlyFans.
OnlyFans reported the error to Ofcom, the UK’s authority for communications industries, which initiated an investigation. OnlyFans states that they fixed the error, reported The Guardian.
UK law requires web platforms should take steps to stop individuals under 18 from reaching pornographic content.
“OnlyFans collaborates with Ofcom to enforce and enhance best practices for online safety, including the use of age-confirmation technology,” a spokesperson for OnlyFans stated, reported Reuters. “OnlyFans identified the reporting mistake and promptly corrected their report to Ofcom.”
“In addition to mandating that all users provide their name and payment card information, OnlyFans employs the Government-approved age confirmation provider Yoti,” added the spokesperson, as per PA Media. “A coding configuration issue with Yoti caused a reporting mistake that indicated a threshold was set to 23 years of age, during a time when it should have been set to 20 – always higher than the 18 requirement.”
Due to the error, individuals under 18 may have accessed the adult content on the platform.
“After reviewing the submissions we received from OnlyFans in response to formal information requests, we have reason to believe the platform did not implement its age-verification measures adequately to safeguard under-18s from pornographic content,” Reuters reported Ofcom as stating.
