# Two age checks. Seven UK blocks.

On 28 August 2026, Ofcom reported two sites that introduced `age assurance` and a further seven that blocked access for people in the United Kingdom. This object shows what that count supports and where it stops.

## In brief

- 2 sites introduced an `age assurance` measure.
- 7 sites blocked access from the UK.
- In this update: **2 + 7 = 9** site-level outcomes.

## Two paths, one jurisdiction

The fictional door has two stamps: an age filter or UK access switched off. The first is a measure change; the second is an availability change in one jurisdiction. Neither simulates a real service.

## What `age assurance` means

The Online Safety Act 2023 uses the terms `age verification` and `age estimation`. The Act gives those measures a vocabulary and specific conditions; this page does not evaluate providers or claim that methods are equally effective.

## What the count cannot tell us

Nine is not the denominator for every regulated service. The count does not tell us which sites they are, how effective a measure was, how much harm was avoided, whether a block remained, or what happened outside the UK.

## The edge of a geoblock

Ofcom describes a geoblock as restricting access from UK IP addresses. That is a jurisdictional boundary, not a measure of global protection.

## The claim we can make

We can say that Ofcom reported `2 + 7` outcomes after its compliance work. We cannot say from this update that one path is more effective. That would need other evidence, with denominators and a measurement method.

## Sources and limits

- [Ofcom: UK children protected from more high-risk sites as a result of Ofcom action](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/uk-children-protected-from-more-high-risk-sites-as-a-result-of-ofcom-action), 28 August 2026.
- [Online Safety Act 2023](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/pdfs/ukpga_20230050_en.pdf), including section 230.

The example is fictional. No service names, graphic material, personal data, access tests, or instructions for avoiding a block are shown. Recheck when Ofcom changes the update, publishes its age-assurance assessment, or changes relevant guidance; no later than 27 November 2026.