Ofcom, the United Kingdom's digital regulator, has imposed a total fine of £730,000 on the operator of the adult website XGroovy for failing to implement age verification for UK users and for not responding to information requests. The regulatory action enforces provisions of the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom's Enforcement Against XGroovy

On September 4, 2026, Ofcom announced the financial penalties against XGroovy. The primary fine, amounting to £700,000, was levied due to the site's failure to comply with age check duties mandated by the Online Safety Act. This non-compliance occurred between July 2025 and November 2025.

An additional penalty of £30,000 was issued because XGroovy failed to respond to a legally binding request for information. Ofcom's statement also indicated that a daily penalty of £200 would be imposed until the requested information is provided, or until November 3, 2026, whichever occurs sooner.

Ofcom's Director of Enforcement, George Lusty, stated that the message to adult websites is clear: effective age checks must be in place to prevent children from accessing pornography. Lusty added that companies failing to do so, or ignoring legally binding requests, should anticipate fines. The Online Safety Act requires sites hosting pornographic material to use highly effective age assurance to determine if a user is over 18, thereby preventing children from accessing such content.

Ofcom reported that after the agency instigated formal enforcement action against XGroovy, the site implemented age assurance measures. Subsequently, XGroovy geoblocked access from UK IP addresses, meaning it is no longer directly available to users in the United Kingdom. Ofcom confirmed it will continue to monitor the site for compliance.

Previous Regulatory Actions and Warnings

Ofcom's investigation into XGroovy began in September 2025. In June, the agency issued a provisional decision in the case, stating that it had "reasonable grounds" to believe the site was in breach of its duties under the Online Safety Act between July 2025 and November 2025. This provisional decision was finalized on September 4, 2026.

In February, French media regulator Arcom similarly sent enforcement notices to the operators of XGroovy. Arcom contended that the site had failed to implement age verification as required under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

The action against XGroovy follows other enforcement efforts by Ofcom. On June 19, 2026, Ofcom fined First Time Videos (FTV) £80,000 for failing to comply with age verification requirements under the Online Safety Act. FTV operates membership websites including FTVGirls.com and FTVMILFs.com. At that time, Greg Lusty, the director of enforcement for Ofcom, stated that age checks are not optional and are a cornerstone of laws to protect children from harmful content, including pornography. He added that the industry should expect similar enforcement action for non-compliance.

In the same June announcement confirming the fine against FTV, Ofcom indicated that it had notified the operator of XGroovy that the agency found "reasonable grounds to believe" the site failed to comply with age verification rules. Ofcom also stated it expanded its ongoing investigation into a company known as Sun Social Media Inc.

Key Facts

  • Ofcom fined XGroovy £700,000 for failing to implement age checks between July 2025 and November 2025.
  • An additional £30,000 fine was imposed on XGroovy for failing to respond to a legally binding information request.
  • Ofcom plans to impose a daily penalty of £200 until XGroovy provides the requested information or until November 3, 2026, whichever is sooner.
  • XGroovy has since implemented age assurance measures and geoblocked access from UK IP addresses.
  • French media regulator Arcom also sent enforcement notices to XGroovy in February for similar age verification failures under France’s SREN law.
  • Ofcom previously fined First Time Videos (FTV) £80,000 in June for age verification failures.