Internet News

Australian internet censors will enforce a new rule that basically requires search engines into safe mode for unlogged in users and require ID/age verification to login.

Under the new rules, search results that include pornography or extreme violence will be blurred by default for users under 18, or for anyone using search without logging in. At the same time, search engines must verify the age of logged-in users. If the user is identified as a minor, safe search settings, filtering out pornography, high-impact violence and disordered-eating content, must be applied automatically.

In addition, searches by Australians related to suicide, self-harm or eating disorders will now automatically redirect to mental health support services.

The new censorship rules will kick in on December 27 2025.

People will not need an account to search the internet. The codes do not require users to log in, and they do not notify the government about what people are searching. For users who are logged in, age assurance mechanisms will be used, possibly including ID/age verification. Adults will still be able to access content if they choose. Blurred images can be clicked through to view, but only once the user accepts they are over 18.

Ofcom writes:

Since we opened our investigation into 4chan Community Support LLC ('4chan') and its compliance with its duties to protect users from illegal content, new duties to protect children under the Online Safety Act 2023 ('the Act') 203 the Protection of Children duties - have come into effect.

Such duties require providers of regulated user-to-user services, which are likely to accessed by children, to use proportionate systems and processes which are designed to effectively reduce the risk of harm to children from content available on their site and to prevent children from encountering certain types of harmful content, known as Primary Priority Conten, altogether. In particular, section 12 of the Act requires providers of services that fall under Part 3 of the Act, and allow one or more kinds of Primary Priority Content (including pornographic content), to use highly effective age verification or age estimation (or both) to prevent children from encountering that kind of content where identified on the service.

Ofcom is therefore expanding this investigation to include consideration of whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that 4chan has failed, or is failing, to comply with its duties under section 12 of the Act.

Ofcom has opend new investigations under its age assurance enforcement programme into five providers which together operate 20 pornography sites.

The companies under investigation are:

• Sun Social Media Inc. These sites are still available without ID/age verification

PlayVids.com
PeekVids.com

• the provider of various xxbrits sites. These sites are still available without ID/age verification

xxbrits.com
xxbrits.co.uk
xxbrits.tube
& many other top level domains

• the provider of a number of porntrex sites. PornTrex has now decided to self block its websites to UK viewers

 

• the provider of fapello.com. Fapello has now added ID/age verification requirements

 

• the provider of hqporner.com. This site is still available without ID/age verification

We have prioritised action against these companies based on the risk of harm posed by the services they operate. We have taken particular account of their user numbers, including where we have seen significant increases in their user traffic since age-check laws came into force last summer.

Separately, we are announcing an expansion to our ongoing investigations into:

• Cyberitic, LLC and the provider of xgroovy.com to determine whether they have also failed to adequately respond to Ofcom's formal requests for information. xgroovy  has now added ID/age verification requirements

These new cases take the number of sites and apps currently under investigation by Ofcom under the Online Safey Act to 76.

Ofcom has explained:

Ofcom has determined that 4chan has breached its duty under section 102(8)(a) of the Act to comply with a statutory request for information, on two separate occasions.

We are imposing a fixed penalty of £20,000 on 4chan in respect of both breaches. This penalty was set having regard to our Penalty Guidelines.

In addition, 4chan is now required to take immediate steps to comply with section 102(8)(a) by providing the following:

a copy of the written record of its illegal content risk assessment(s) in respect of 4chan.org as required by the first statutory information request; and information specified in the second statutory information request relating to its qualifying worldwide revenue ('QWR').

Should 4chan fail to comply, a daily rate penalty of £100 per day will be imposed starting from the day after the date of the Confirmation Decision for either 60 days or until 4chan provides Ofcom with the information outlined above (whichever is sooner).

See article from x.com

Preston Byrne is defending 4Chan in US law nad has a few interesting reveals into how Ofcom intend to pursue its censorship citing sovereign imunity.

 

Porn websites too

Ofcom has announced that it will take the next steps in the pursuit of porn website provider AVS Limited.

This in relation to the adult sites www.pornzog.com, www.txxx.com, www.txxx.tube, www.upornia.com, www.hdzog.com, www.hdzog.tube, www.thegay.com, www.thegay.tube, www.ooxxx.com, www.hotmovs.com, www.hclips.com, www.vjav.com, www.pornl.com, www.voyeurhit.com, www.manysex.com, www.tubepornclassic.com, www.shemalez.com and www.shemalez.tube .

Ofcom explains

Following an investigation, Ofcom has provisionally determined that there are reasonable grounds to believe AVS Group Ltd has failed, and is failing, to comply with section 12 of the Online Safety Act ('the Act'). Section 12 imposes a duty on providers of services that fall under Part 3 of the Act, and allow pornographic content, to ensure that children are prevented from encountering pornographic content through the use of highly effective age assurance.

Ofcom therefore issued a provisional notice of contravention to AVS Group Ltd on 10 October 2025 under section 130 of the Act. The notice also sets out our provisional view that AVS Group Ltd has infringed its duties under section 102(8) of the Act by failing to respond to a statutory request for information issued as part of the investigation.

Similarly Ofcom is haranging websites from Youngtek Solutions Ltd The websites under consideration are www.imagefap.com, www.empflix.com www.moviefap.com, www.pornrepublic.com and www.TNAflix.com.