On 16 January 2025, Ofcom released its long-awaited official guidance on age assurance for adult content platforms under the UK Online Safety Act (OSA). The new rules require pornography sites—starting with platforms that publish their own content—to demonstrate they are protecting children from accessing explicit material online.
Crucially, the guidance confirms that users will not need to upload ID documents. Instead, Ofcom supports innovative age assurance methods such as email-based age estimation—a low-friction, privacy-first solution now recognised as fully compliant.
In this article, we break down the key takeaways from Ofcom’s announcement and explain why email-based age estimation, pioneered by 18Verified’s technology partner Verifymy, is the future of online compliance for adult content providers.
What Does the Online Safety Act Require?
The Online Safety Act (OSA) is a UK law that mandates all online services, including adult content platforms, to implement highly effective age assurance solutions to prevent children from accessing pornography.
The Two Service Categories
- Part 5 Services: Platforms that publish their own pornographic content (e.g. studios, pay sites)
- Part 3 Services: Sites that host user-generated adult content (e.g. tube sites, cam platforms, fan sites)
Key Compliance Deadlines
Date | Requirement |
---|---|
January 2025 | Part 5 services must begin implementing highly effective age assurance. Part 3 services must assess children’s access risks. |
April 2025 | Ofcom will publish the Protection of Children Codes and guidance. |
July 2025 | All services must have a compliant age assurance system in place. |
To enforce compliance, Ofcom has launched an Age Assurance Enforcement Programme, requiring all relevant providers to confirm their compliance status by 5 March 2025.
What Is “Highly Effective” Age Assurance?
To meet Ofcom’s standard, age assurance solutions must be:
- Technically accurate
- Robust
- Reliable
- Fair
Accepted methods include:
- Email-based age estimation ✅
- Facial age estimation
- Mobile operator checks
- Open banking
- Photo ID checks
- Digital identity services
- Credit card checks
⚠️ Self-declaration is not accepted.
Why Email-Based Age Estimation Is a Game-Changer
Among the approved methods, email-based age estimation stands out for its accuracy, privacy, and low-friction implementation—making it ideal for adult content sites seeking high compliance and low user drop-off.
✅ Technically Accurate
- Certified under PAS 1296:2018 to EAL 3
- 0% false positives in ACCS EAL level 3 testing
- Accurately identifies age using only an email address
✅ Robust
- Anti-spoofing via One Time Password (OTP)
- Users must verify ownership of the email
✅ Reliable
- Uses third-party identity signals
- Aligned with Ofcom’s reliability framework
✅ Fair & Inclusive
- 99.94% of users have email access
- Bias-free and accessible across all demographics
✅ Commercially Viable
- 73% of users prefer email checks over ID scans
- Seamless integration with minimal drop-off
Seamless Compliance Without Losing Conversions
Unlike traditional ID verification methods, email-based age estimation is:
- Fast and unobtrusive
- Compliant with Ofcom and OSA
- Privacy-preserving
- Ideal for platforms already collecting email addresses
At 18Verified, we offer this solution along with:
- Facial age estimation
- Photo ID matching
- Credit card checks
- Mobile operator lookups
👉 Explore our age assurance solutions
Ofcom’s Enforcement Is Real – Act Now
Ofcom is actively contacting pornography providers and expects full compliance declarations by 5 March 2025. Sanctions for non-compliance include:
- Regulatory fines
- Criminal penalties
- Platform takedown orders
Now is the time to upgrade to a highly effective, low-friction age assurance solution.
A Message from Our Team
Lina Ghazal, Head of Regulatory and Public Affairs at Verifymy:
“As the Online Safety Act rolls out, 2025 must be a year where regulatory talk turns to action. Only effective implementation will drive real-world results.
At Verifymy, we are giving platforms the tools they need to meet regulatory requirements head-on—while protecting both children and adult users.”
Conclusion
The Online Safety Act is here—and Ofcom’s 2025 guidance makes it clear that adult platforms must act fast. With email-based age estimation, providers can meet all legal obligations without losing users, violating privacy, or disrupting revenue.
- ✅ Fully compliant
- ✅ Certified under PAS 1296
- ✅ Preferred by users
- ✅ Trusted by regulators
👉 Contact 18Verified today to stay ahead of regulation and protect your business.
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