The investigation targets Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos, and XNXX, as their measures for safeguarding minors come into question amidst increasing global regulatory pressures.
EU Launches Investigation into Pornhub and Other Adult Sites Over Child Safety Issues
EU Launches Investigation into Pornhub and Other Adult Sites Over Child Safety Issues
The European Commission scrutinizes adult content platforms for insufficient protections against underage access.
The European Commission has initiated an investigation into Pornhub, Stripchat, and two other adult websites—XVideos and XNXX—over concerns regarding the safety of children online. The organization believes these platforms might not be adhering to EU laws designed to protect minors, specifically critiquing their lack of effective age verification processes that prevent children from accessing explicit material.
The Commission emphasized that online platforms must prioritize the rights and welfare of children in the functionality of their services. An official statement highlighted that these companies have not implemented "appropriate and proportionate measures" to ensure privacy, safety, and security for younger users. Current practices, such as basic age verification pop-ups that ask users to confirm their age, have been deemed insufficient.
In response to the allegations, Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, acknowledged awareness of the investigation and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the online safety of minors. They expressed a hope for global legislative advancements that would enhance user protection online.
This investigation is part of a broader examination of online pornography by regulators worldwide, who are increasingly focused on platforms lacking robust age-verification systems. In the UK, for example, Ofcom has recently launched investigations against adult sites that fail to implement age checks.
Despite being the most frequently visited adult website globally, Pornhub has faced mounting regulatory challenges, having blocked access in 16 US states that have mandated age verification. The platform argues that verification should occur on individual devices for an easier regulatory and privacy framework.
Under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), the affected companies are classified as very large online platforms (VLOPs) and thus face stricter scrutiny regarding illegal content. If non-compliance is confirmed, they could be subjected to enforcement actions, potentially facing fines reaching 6% of their annual revenue. Notably, Stripchat will lose its VLOP designation, but allegations of non-compliance will still be pursued.
The Commission, aiming to protect minors online, stated that coordinated efforts among member states will also address smaller platforms that do not meet the 45 million user threshold but are still required to adhere to digital safety regulations. Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice president for technology sovereignty, security, and democracy, affirmed their commitment to ensuring that young users can navigate the internet safely.
The Commission emphasized that online platforms must prioritize the rights and welfare of children in the functionality of their services. An official statement highlighted that these companies have not implemented "appropriate and proportionate measures" to ensure privacy, safety, and security for younger users. Current practices, such as basic age verification pop-ups that ask users to confirm their age, have been deemed insufficient.
In response to the allegations, Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, acknowledged awareness of the investigation and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the online safety of minors. They expressed a hope for global legislative advancements that would enhance user protection online.
This investigation is part of a broader examination of online pornography by regulators worldwide, who are increasingly focused on platforms lacking robust age-verification systems. In the UK, for example, Ofcom has recently launched investigations against adult sites that fail to implement age checks.
Despite being the most frequently visited adult website globally, Pornhub has faced mounting regulatory challenges, having blocked access in 16 US states that have mandated age verification. The platform argues that verification should occur on individual devices for an easier regulatory and privacy framework.
Under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), the affected companies are classified as very large online platforms (VLOPs) and thus face stricter scrutiny regarding illegal content. If non-compliance is confirmed, they could be subjected to enforcement actions, potentially facing fines reaching 6% of their annual revenue. Notably, Stripchat will lose its VLOP designation, but allegations of non-compliance will still be pursued.
The Commission, aiming to protect minors online, stated that coordinated efforts among member states will also address smaller platforms that do not meet the 45 million user threshold but are still required to adhere to digital safety regulations. Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice president for technology sovereignty, security, and democracy, affirmed their commitment to ensuring that young users can navigate the internet safely.
