File-sharing service fined £20,000 amid Online Safety Act crackdown

File-sharing service Im.ge has been fined £20,000 for failing to provide information to Ofcom in the latest penalty by the watchdog since the Online Safety Act came into force earlier this year.

Ofcom launched an investigation into Im.ge in June, alongside six other file-sharing services.

New rules under the Online Safety Act require online services to clamp down on child sexual abuse material and put strong safety measures in place for UK users.

It launched action to assess the safety measures put in place by file-sharing services, which are seen as susceptible to being exploited by offenders to widely distribute child sexual abuse material.

Ofcom sent legally binding requests for information to a raft of these services to assess the prevention measures they have in place.

Im.ge has failed to provide the information – originally requested on April 1 – which included a copy of its illegal content risk assessment and information relating to its qualifying worldwide revenue.

Ofcom said as well as being hit with a £20,000 fine, Im.ge would face a penalty of £100 every day starting from December 18 for the following 60 days or until it provides the information, whichever is sooner.

It is the latest in a series of penalties from Ofcom as part of its crackdown since the Online Safety Act took effect.

Pornography company AVS Group, which runs 18 adult websites, was recently fined £1 million by Ofcom for not having strong enough age checks, plus a further £50,000 for failing to respond to information requests.

Ofcom said on Tuesday that AVS has now put in place age checks on the sites being investigated, though the regulator will continue to monitor the sites and their compliance.

Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, said: “Any company that fails to engage with Ofcom and their duties under the Online Safety Act should expect to face robust enforcement action.”

She added: “Porn sites must use highly effective age assurance to protect children.

“We’ve shown we’ll use our enforcement powers to secure this outcome, and AVS has introduced new age checks after we fined them.”

In its probe covering seven file-sharing firms, Ofcom said that two have since put in place so-called hash-matching technology – an automated online tool that can detect and remove child sexual abuse material before it spreads further.

Other providers took steps to prevent people in the UK from accessing their sites while three firms remain under investigation, including Im.ge.

Im.ge has been approached for comment.