The investigation targets Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos, and XNXX for failing to implement adequate age verification and safeguarding protocols.
**EU Launches Probe Against Pornhub and Other Sites Over Child Safety Violations**
**EU Launches Probe Against Pornhub and Other Sites Over Child Safety Violations**
The European Commission reexamines safety measures of major pornography websites amid concerns over child accessibility.
The European Commission has initiated a significant investigation involving Pornhub, Stripchat, and two additional pornographic websites, XVideos and XNXX. The Commission expressed concerns that these platforms might not be complying with EU regulations designed to protect children online. Specifically, officials highlighted that these sites seem to lack "appropriate" age verification systems, raising alarms over the potential accessibility of adult content to minors.
The Commission noted, "Online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services." Their initial findings indicate that the four investigated platforms have failed to implement essential measures to safeguard the privacy, safety, and security of minors. Current methods used by some porn sites, such as pop-up prompts asking users if they are over 18, have been deemed inadequate for effective age verification.
Regulatory scrutiny on online porn services is intensifying globally. A similar assessment from the UK's Ofcom found certain platforms lacking in functionalities to verify users' ages. Itai Tech Ltd, which operates a nudifying website, and Score Internet Group LLC were among those scrutinized for failing to present measures preventing children's access to adult content.
Pornhub, recognized as the most popular pornographic site worldwide and ranked 19th among all web destinations, is under increasing regulatory pressure. It has already prohibited access in 16 U.S. states due to new laws mandating age verification for users. The site has argued that age verification should occur at the device level, providing a more efficient and privacy-conscious solution for regulation.
The European Commission has classified these companies under its Digital Services Act (DSA) as very large online platforms (VLOP) in 2023. This classification brings stricter obligations regarding the management of harmful content. Should violations of the DSA be confirmed, these platforms could face enforcement actions or substantial fines of up to 6% of their annual revenue. Although Stripchat's VLOP status has been revoked, the Commission will continue investigating its compliance with digital guidelines.
Smaller platforms are similarly bound by the EU's digital regulations aimed at protecting children if they meet the 45 million EU user threshold. Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice-president of the Commission for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, reinforced the commitment to ensuring minors can safely navigate online spaces, emphasizing the urgency of collaboration among member states to mitigate risks to young users in the digital landscape.
The Commission noted, "Online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services." Their initial findings indicate that the four investigated platforms have failed to implement essential measures to safeguard the privacy, safety, and security of minors. Current methods used by some porn sites, such as pop-up prompts asking users if they are over 18, have been deemed inadequate for effective age verification.
Regulatory scrutiny on online porn services is intensifying globally. A similar assessment from the UK's Ofcom found certain platforms lacking in functionalities to verify users' ages. Itai Tech Ltd, which operates a nudifying website, and Score Internet Group LLC were among those scrutinized for failing to present measures preventing children's access to adult content.
Pornhub, recognized as the most popular pornographic site worldwide and ranked 19th among all web destinations, is under increasing regulatory pressure. It has already prohibited access in 16 U.S. states due to new laws mandating age verification for users. The site has argued that age verification should occur at the device level, providing a more efficient and privacy-conscious solution for regulation.
The European Commission has classified these companies under its Digital Services Act (DSA) as very large online platforms (VLOP) in 2023. This classification brings stricter obligations regarding the management of harmful content. Should violations of the DSA be confirmed, these platforms could face enforcement actions or substantial fines of up to 6% of their annual revenue. Although Stripchat's VLOP status has been revoked, the Commission will continue investigating its compliance with digital guidelines.
Smaller platforms are similarly bound by the EU's digital regulations aimed at protecting children if they meet the 45 million EU user threshold. Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice-president of the Commission for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, reinforced the commitment to ensuring minors can safely navigate online spaces, emphasizing the urgency of collaboration among member states to mitigate risks to young users in the digital landscape.
