Pornhub and Three Other Adult Websites Undergo EU Child Safety Evaluation | Online Safety

European officials have initiated an investigation into four adult websites suspected of inadequately preventing minors from viewing adult content.

Following a review of the companies’ policies, the European Commission criticized PornHub, StripChat, XNXX, and XVideos for not implementing adequate age verification procedures to block minors from accessing their sites.

This inquiry has been launched in accordance with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a comprehensive set of regulations aimed at curbing online harm such as disinformation, cyber threats, hate speech, and counterfeit merchandise. The DSA also enforces stringent measures to safeguard children online, including preventing mental health repercussions from exposure to adult materials.

The committee noted that all four platforms employed a simple one-click self-certification for age verification.

“Today marks a significant step toward child protection online in the EU, as the enforcement action we are initiating… clearly indicates our commitment to hold four major adult content platforms accountable for effectively safeguarding minors under the DSA.”

While no specific deadline has been set for concluding the investigation, officials stressed that they aim to act swiftly on potential next steps based on the platforms’ responses.

The platforms can resolve the investigation by implementing an age verification system recognized as effective by EU regulators. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue.

The DSA regulates platforms with over 45 million users, including Google, Meta, and X, while national authorities in each of the 27 member states are responsible for those that fall beneath this threshold.

On Tuesday, the committee announced that StripChat no longer qualifies as a “very large online platform.” Following the company’s appeal, its oversight will now be handled by Cyprus rather than Brussels, under its parent company, Techinius Ltd.

However, this new designation will not take effect until September, meaning that the investigation into age verification remains active.

The child protection responsibilities of StripChat will continue unchanged.

Aylo FreeSites, the parent company of Pornhub, is aware of the ongoing investigation and has stated its “full commitment” to ensuring the online safety of minors.

“We are in full compliance with the law,” the company remarked. “We believe the effective way to protect both minors and adults is to verify user age at the point of access through their device, ensuring that websites provide or restrict access to age-sensitive content based on that verification.”

Techinius has been approached for comments. A Brussels-based attorney, recently representing the parent company of XVideos (Web Group Czech Republic) and XNXX (NKL Associates) in EU legal matters, has also reached out for statements.