based in the UK to comply with its rules, and failure to do so often resulted in Ofcom issuing a fine or shutting down a website. Age verification With the passing of the Digital Economy Act 2017, the United Kingdom became the first country to pass a law containing a legal mandate on the provision of age verification. Under the act, websites that publish pornography on a commercial basis would have been required to implement a "robust" age verification system. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) was charged with enforcing this legislation. After a series of setbacks, the planned scheme was eventually abandoned in 2019. See also Outline of British pornography List of British pornographic actors Campaign Against Censorship National Campaign for the Reform of the Obscene Publications Acts Anti-pornography movement in the United Kingdom Notes References Bibliography British pornography Law of the United Kingdom Obscenity controversies Freedom of speech in the United Kingdom Sexuality in the United Kingdom