Ofcom fines Playboy TV £100,000

UK regulator Ofcom has levied a £100,000 penalty on Playboy TV’s UK-based Benelux operation for failing to restrict under-age access to online on-demand services Playboy TV and Demand Adult.

The fine follows a finding by UK video-on-demand regulator ATVOD in July last year that the websites were in breach of regulations. Playboy TV allowed unrestricted access to sexually explicit material  on the sites between May 31 and July 24.

Ofcom, which is responsible for regulating VOD services concurrently with ATVOD, found that the breaches were “serious, repeated and reckless” and that a financial penalty should be imposed. Demnd Adult was fined £65,000 and Playboy TV was fined £35,000.