British media regulator Ofcom has turned to social media influencers, including Made In Chelsea star Olivia Bentley, to help promote new age-verification requirements for accessing online pornography, part of sweeping changes under the UK’s Online Safety Act.

The campaign aims to bolster public support and awareness as the new rules, which took effect July 25, face criticism from civil liberties advocates, tech firms, and a significant portion of the public.

Olivia Bentley, who has 617,000 Instagram followers, appears in a paid video ad that begins with a staged, suggestive entrance—walking into her home and appearing to undress off-camera—before addressing viewers fully clothed. She holds a beer can labeled “pornography” and delivers the message: “Now I’ve got your attention.”

“This is not to ruin anyone’s fun,” Bentley tells her audience. “But it’s about time that children are protected online.” Comparing the online checks to showing ID at a pub, she adds, “It’s almost as if the internet is finally growing up.”

The campaign, funded by Ofcom and targeted primarily at UK users aged 20 to 35, comes as the regulator implements new age-assurance rules requiring pornography sites and platforms hosting adult content to verify users’ ages using face scans, government ID uploads, or other approved tools. Sites failing to comply risk fines or enforcement action.

The digital regulator is also facing political opposition and growing public unease. A Parliamentary petition to repeal the Online Safety Act has garnered more than 450,000 signatures, while critics, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and American lawmakers, have condemned the law as an attack on free expression.

Critics of the age-check rules argue that they are overly broad and prone to error. Reddit users have reported innocuous communities, such as those dedicated to beer or adult comedy, being placed behind age gates. Others raise concerns about data privacy, noting that age-verification systems can be easily bypassed using VPNs.

Ofcom has also sponsored ads from other online personalities, such as YouTuber Adam Beales, who has 4.6 million subscribers. These efforts are part of what Ofcom describes as a broader push to help people understand how to stay safe under the new regime.

“Helping people understand new online safety protections is an important part of our job as the communications watchdog,” an Ofcom spokesperson said in a statement.

“Like many public bodies, we work with online ambassadors to reach millions of children and adults who connect with them, in our case, explaining changes that are happening and how to stay safe.”

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle defended the campaign and the new rules, saying Thursday that “there are no practical alternatives” to age verification. He accused opponents of “playing politics with child safety.”

Though the influencer campaign has reached large audiences, some responses highlight continued skepticism. One commenter on Bentley’s post wrote: “It’s a well-intentioned but horribly implemented law.”

Ofcom has not disclosed how much it paid individual influencers. The regulator is funded by fees from the companies it oversees, not taxpayer money.

As enforcement proceeds, the government and regulators are betting that a digital marketing strategy will help ease adoption of one of the most controversial online safety policies in the UK’s recent legislative history.