The European Commission launched an in-depth investigation into the porn sites Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos. The aim is to assess whether the platforms are doing enough to protect minors from accessing their content.
Based on its preliminary findings, the Commission believes that the four platforms have not taken sufficient "appropriate and proportionate measures" to "ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors." In particular, it cites the lack of an effective age verification tool.
The European Digital Services Act (DSA) requires large online platforms to take measures to protect European users. Among other things, the law lays down strict rules to protect children and guarantee their privacy and safety.
As part of the investigation, the Commission may request additional information from the four platforms and carry out inspections. It may also take provisional measures. If the sites continue to violate the DSA, they could ultimately face heavy fines.
Pornhub, XNXX and XVideos have more than 45 million European users per month. This means that, like X and TikTok, for example, they are categorised as "very large platforms" and must comply with stricter rules. While Stripchat will disappear from this category within four months, this does not alter the fact that the site must still protect minors.
The Commission also announced that Member States will take coordinated action to ensure that smaller pornographic platforms also shield their content.
In cooperation with Member States, the Commission is developing an app that sites can use to verify whether the user is an adult without revealing any further information about their identity. The app should be available by this summer.
