Christian social policy charity CARE has challenged new figures from Ofcom, claiming the regulator has overstated how many of the UK's most-visited pornography websites comply with age verification requirements under the Online Safety Act.

In its annual report, published a year after mandatory age checks came into force, Ofcom said 66 of the UK's top 100 dedicated pornography websites now use the "highly effective" age assurance controls required by Parliament.

The regulator said age checks are now being deployed "at an unprecedented scale", placing the UK "at the forefront of global efforts to make online experiences safer for children". It added that further work is needed, particularly as the Government considers restricting social media access for under-16s from 2027.

Under the Online Safety Act, pornography websites must use highly effective age assurance to prevent children accessing explicit content.

However, CARE says its own research, carried out between 9 and 16 July, found only 44 of the top 100 pornography websites met Ofcom's standard. It also claimed that only five of the UK's 10 most-visited pornography sites were fully compliant.

According to the charity, 26 websites had introduced some form of age verification but failed to meet Ofcom's guidance. It said 15 displayed explicit thumbnail images before age checks, while 18 allowed explicit titles to remain visible. CARE also claimed 30 of the top 100 sites had no age assurance measures in place.

Ofcom's guidance states that pornography providers should either verify users' ages before they enter a site or ensure no harmful content is visible until age checks are completed.

CARE has called on Ofcom to explain the discrepancy. Tim Cairns, the charity's online safety lead, said: "While our data set might be different from the one Ofcom used, we would strongly dispute the claim by Ofcom that as many as 66 of the top 100 porn sites in the UK are providing highly effective age assurance controls."

He questioned whether Ofcom was "robustly applying its own standards" and said the regulator should reassure the public that its assessments accurately reflect the UK's most-visited pornography websites.

Ofcom acknowledged in its report that progress remains incomplete and urged pornography providers without age checks to introduce them "without delay". It also called on online platforms to strengthen age assurance systems and ensure they comply with privacy and data protection requirements.