The European Commission announced Monday that it is opening investigations into the adult platforms Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX and Stripchat for what the European Union's executive branch characterizes as suspected breaches of key age assurances provisions
in the Digital Services Act (DSA). According to the commission, investigations into all four of the above platforms focus on potential risks posed to minors of the European Union's member states, but also the absence of effective age verification
measures. Initial findings prompting the investigation determined that the platforms currently do not comply with age-appropriate design and mitigation measures and risk assessment, and ensuring a high level of privacy, safety, and security for minors,
in particular with age verification tools.
The European Commission also announced that it has reclassified Stripchat, a popular streaming platform with an operational base in Cyprus, as no longer being a very large online platform (VLOP). The DSA
defines a VLOP as an online platform with over 45 million users across E.U. member states.
Pornhub self blocks French users
Aylo, the company owning the pornhub websites responded to this EU move and to local French censorship demands by self blocking itself from users in France.
Reports of a surge in VPN use
Inevitably there will be an
uptick in French users resorting to VPNs. Swiss privacy software maker Proton suggested in a post on X that it's seen a surge in people using its VPN software in France, presumably in a bid to circumvent the porn blocks. VPN services are software
tools that create a secure, encrypted tunnel which allows users to hide their IP address - effectively masking their location from websites and service providers seeking to block their users.
In response , French Digital Minister Clara Chappaz posted
to her followers on X: If Aylo prefers to leave France than apply our laws, thats up to them.
Chappaz admitted it's possible to bypass age verification on pornographic platforms by using a VPN,
adding: There will always be a way to circumvent [blocked content], but it [the law] makes it much harder
A statement from Pornhub
Pornhub have explained the
reasons for the self blocking in a statement by Alex Kekesi, VP Brand and Community, on behalf of Aylo:
We've made the difficult decision to suspend access to our sites (user-uploaded content platforms, including Pornhub, YouPorn, Redtube) in France and instead use our platforms to speak directly to the French people.
French
citizens deserve a government and a regulator who are serious about preventing children from accessing adult content. They also deserve laws which protect their privacy and safeguard their sensitive data.
For years, we have
attempted to collaborate with the government, by consultation, data sharing and offering pilot project participation. The results of all of this have been clear 203 site-based age verification does not work. It does not protect children, and it exposes
the data of millions of French people to privacy breaches and hacks.
Your government won't tell you the truth about this, but we will.
There is a simple, easy-to-implement and immediately available solution
to this issue 203 device-based age verification*. All it requires is that the government enforce regulations on three companies 203 Apple, Google and Microsoft 203 the three operating system manufacturers requiring age verification at the device level
prior to accessing adult content. The French government refuses to take this simple step and instead are focused on futile and entirely symbolic regulatory actions which are unenforceable, do not protect children and expose your private data.
As of June 4, 2025, millions of consenting adults in France will no longer be able to access our library of thoroughly moderated and consensual adult entertainment on one of the most trusted adult sites in the world 203 a site that,
we believe, is better at safeguarding its community than any other user generated content platform, including mainstream social media platforms. Sites like ours, which host legal and regulated porn will no longer be available in France, but thousands of
irresponsible porn sites will still be easy to access.
We know people will not stop looking for porn. They just migrate to hundreds of thousands unsafe platforms that have not only chosen to be non-compliant, but also have far
fewer, if any, Trust and Safety policies in place. In effect, all data indicates that these laws have just diverted traffic to dangerous websites that have made the conscious decision to act illegally. The way France has chosen to implement age
verification is ineffective, haphazard and dangerous.
You deserve real solutions to stop minors from accessing adult content. We want to be part of that solution. But this symbolic law will do nothing to protect children. Demand
that your government have the courage to get this right.
