Vinted, the online marketplace, has reportedly removed sexually explicit advertisements after a user reported encountering a video containing what she believed to be pornographic content while browsing for clothing.
Kirsty Hopley, 44, from Carlisle, stated that the advertisement appeared while she was searching the app for a dressing gown.
Her teenage daughter was present at the time of the incident.
Ms. Hopley reported the content to Vinted and subsequently contacted Ofcom.
Speaking to BBC News, she described the automatically playing video as depicting a “sickening” and graphically violent sexual encounter.
The law and criminology teacher, who had content filters installed on her home internet, expressed shock at encountering such material on the e-commerce platform.
“I probably won’t buy anything from there again, which is disappointing as I love Vinted,” she said. “But I don’t want to see content like that.”
The platform, which has no age restrictions, has recently faced scrutiny in France following reports of sellers using the site to direct users to adult content.
The advertisement Ms. Hopley viewed promoted DramaWave, a mobile application producing short-form scripted stories for social media platforms.
Many of DramaWave’s series appear to focus on romance storylines unfolding over multiple episodes lasting only a few minutes each.
Vinted has stated that the advertisements in question have now been blocked.
A company spokesperson affirmed that the platform maintains a “zero-tolerance policy for unsolicited sexual communications and the promotion of sexual content.”
“This includes prohibiting sexually explicit advertisements on our platform,” the spokesperson added.
“Where listings or ads are found to violate these rules, we will take action, including blocking or removing them.”
The BBC has reached out to DramaWave for comment.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) informed BBC News that their guidelines stipulate “that ads must not cause harm or offense.”
In a statement, they emphasized, “Harmful or degrading portrayals of women in ads are completely unacceptable, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to this kind of content.”
They further added, “We encourage anyone with concerns about an ad they’ve seen to get in touch.”
Ms. Hopley told BBC News she expected the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), which includes laws to protect children from explicit content online, to have prevented such material appearing on her phone.
However the only paid-for advertising that is in scope of the OSA is fraudulent content.
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The regulator said it had also opened new investigations into 20 porn sites over suspected online safety breaches.
A councillor had complained that the long established adult store was not appropriate for the area.
One passenger says children ran screaming from the lounge when the “adult film” was mistakenly shown.
Possession and publication of such material will be a criminal offence, under amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill.
Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq did not enter a plea at Guernsey’s Magistrates Court.