EU Investigates Major Porn Sites for Failing to Protect Minors

The European Commission has launched an investigation into four major pornography websites—Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos, and XNXX—over concerns that they may not be complying with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly in protecting children. The Commission expressed concerns about the lack of effective age verification mechanisms, such as relying on easily bypassed pop-ups asking users if they are over 18. The platforms reportedly failed to implement appropriate safeguards for the privacy, safety, and security of minors, and did not conduct adequate risk assessments regarding the potential negative effects on children’s mental and physical well-being.

Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, stated that it is aware of the investigation and remains committed to protecting minors online, while advocating for more unified and privacy-respecting age verification systems. The investigation comes amid broader global efforts to increase regulation of adult content platforms and ensure they are not accessible to underage users. In the UK, Ofcom has also initiated probes into sites lacking age verification systems.

Under the DSA, very large online platforms (VLOPs) are required to take stronger action against illegal or harmful content. Breaches of the DSA could lead to fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual turnover. While Stripchat is no longer categorized as a VLOP, it still faces scrutiny for potential non-compliance.