Digital Secrets Exposed 🚨 £1M Fine! 💸

World News

Ofcom has levied a £1 million fine against a porn company, AVS Group Ltd, marking the regulator’s largest penalty to date under the Online Safety Act. This significant fine follows AVS Group Ltd’s failure to implement “highly effective age assurance” measures to prevent children from accessing explicit content on its 18 adult websites. The Online Safety Act mandates that websites hosting pornographic material must meet Ofcom’s standards for robust age verification. In addition to the £1 million penalty, AVS Group Ltd was fined £50,000 for failing to respond to information requests. Ofcom has stipulated that AVS must now implement these measures within 72 hours, or face an additional daily penalty of £1,000 until compliance is achieved. This follows previous enforcement actions, including a £20,000 fine issued to online message board 4Chan over the summer, which remains unpaid.

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced today a $275 million settlement with SiriusXM Holdings Inc. over alleged misrepresentations about the value of its advertising packages. This resolution, announced by CDI Director Glen Martin, addresses concerns that SiriusXM misled consumers regarding the guaranteed revenue they would receive from advertising on the platform. The CDI’s investigation, which began in 2017, centered on SiriusXM’s statements concerning the guaranteed revenue provided to advertisers. Specifically, the CDI alleged that SiriusXM made materially false and misleading statements about the amount of revenue advertisers would receive. The investigation established that SiriusXM misrepresented the guaranteed revenue it provided to advertisers. SiriusXM, based in Englewood, Colorado, admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement. As stipulated in the agreement, SiriusXM will continue to collaborate with the CDI to ensure ongoing compliance with California’s truth-in-advertising laws, and the CDI will maintain oversight of SiriusXM’s advertising practices. Furthermore, the settlement includes a $275 million payment to California consumers who purchased advertising packages from SiriusXM during the period of the investigation, and the CDI anticipates distributing these funds. Finally, AVS must now implement highly effective age assurance within 72 hours or face a daily additional penalty of £1,000 a day.

Over the coming months, the Consumer Division of Investigation (CDI) expects to continue its work addressing these issues. The CDI stated that this settlement underscores its commitment to protecting consumers from deceptive advertising practices.