EU Launches Investigation into Pornographic Sites Over Child Safety Concerns

The European Commission has initiated a probe into Pornhub, Stripchat, and other adult sites for not implementing effective child safety protocols. They may face penalties if found non-compliant with the Digital Services Act's regulations aimed at safeguarding children online.

The European Union has commenced an investigation into Pornhub, Stripchat, and two additional adult content websites—XVideos and XNXX—following concerns about their compliance with child safety regulations. The European Commission has stated that these platforms do not appear to have sufficient measures in place to protect children, particularly regarding age verification methods that would prevent minors from accessing adult content.

In a statement, the Commission emphasized that online platforms have an obligation to prioritize the rights and best interests of children in the way their services are designed and function. Despite being aware of the investigation, Pornhub's parent company, Aylo, affirmed its commitment to ensuring minors' online safety and reiterated its willingness to adhere to the law while advocating for more comprehensive global regulations.

The Commission's preliminary findings indicated that the four websites lack "appropriate and proportionate measures" to maintain privacy and security for younger users. The platforms were found not to be in compliance with existing requirements concerning age verification tools—measures deemed essential to restrict access to adult content for minors.

A Commission spokesperson noted that the frequently employed "click away" pop-ups asking users if they are over 18 years old may not effectively prevent minors from accessing inappropriate material. Furthermore, these sites have yet to implement risk mitigation strategies that consider the potential adverse effects on the rights and well-being of children engaging with adult content.

This investigation is part of a broader international effort to scrutinize online pornography services, with regulators across various countries striving to enforce age verification practices. For example, the UK's Ofcom recently launched its investigations into porn sites lacking adequate measures to confirm users' ages.

Notably, Pornhub ranks as the most visited pornography site globally and holds the 19th position among all websites. However, amid mounting regulatory scrutiny, it has blocked access in 16 states across the U.S. that mandated age verification. The company argues that age verification should be implemented at the device level rather than by individual sites, promoting user privacy while simplifying compliance for regulators.

The EU's investigation is particularly significant given that the implicated companies are classified as very large online platforms under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This regulation imposes stricter mandates to address harmful and illicit content. Should the platforms be confirmed to breach the DSA, they could face severe repercussions, including fines of up to 6% of their annual revenue.

While the Commission announced that Stripchat would no longer hold its VLOP designation, it clarified that the investigation into its non-compliance would continue. Smaller platforms, even if they do not meet the 45 million EU user threshold, are also required to comply with the EU's digital safety regulations aimed at protecting children.

Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, underscored the EU's commitment to ensuring minors can navigate the online landscape safely. "We are determined to tackle any potential harm to young online users," she stated, referring to collaborative efforts with Digital Service Coordinators across member states to enforce child protection requirements more effectively.