Deepfake 'nudify' site fined £55,000 over lack of age checks

Deepfake 'nudify' site fined £55,000 over lack of age checks

43 minutes ago Share Save Liv McMahon Technology reporter Share Save

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The operator of a so-called "nudification" site has been fined for failing to put in age verification measures, which are required under online safety laws. The regulator Ofcom investigated Itai Tech Ltd, which provides AI tools allowing users to edit images to seemingly remove someone's clothing. On Thursday, Ofcom said it had fined the company £50,000 for its age check failings, plus an additional £5,000 for not responding to its information requests. BBC News has contacted Itai Tech Ltd for comment.

The nudity website it runs is currently not accessible from a UK IP address., and documents on Companies House show Itai Tech Ltd recently applied to strike itself off the UK register of companies. Ofcom said its fine accounted for the company's decision to make its site unavailable to UK users, which it said occurred shortly after the investigation started in May. "The use of highly effective age assurance to protect children from harmful pornographic content is non-negotiable and we will accept no excuses for failure," said Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom. "Any service which fails to meet their age-check duties under the Online Safety Act can expect to face robust enforcement action, including significant fines."