The European Commission (EC) is demanding that three of the world’s largest pornography sites provide details of what they are doing to strengthen measures protecting minors from gaining access to their content.
Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) aims to prevent the spread of gender-based violence and calls for measures to curb the risk of spreading illegal content online, such as child sexual abuse material, or content that breaches “fundamental rights” like privacy, such as “nonconsensual” images or deepfake porn.
The EU executive branch decision aimed at Pornhub, XVideos and Stripchat comes under DSA provisions designed to keep internet users safe online. Should any of the three companies fail to provide the required information by 4 July, they will face fines. Since each has an average of 45 million users monthly, all are classified as “very large online platforms” and therefore subject to stricter DSA controls.
“The Commission is requesting the companies to provide more detailed information on the measures they have taken to diligently assess and mitigate risks related to the protection of minors online, as well as to prevent the amplification of illegal content and gender-based violence,” the European Commission announced yesterday.
The EU wants to ensure that site visitors are not underage. Currently, a click on a “yes” box affirming that the user is 18 or over is usually sufficient to enter most pornographic platforms.
The Commission is also asking the three companies to explain how they are complying with DSA demands that “very large online platforms equip themselves with independent and well-resourced internal teams with sufficient authority and resources, as well as access to the management body.”
Last year, Pornhub took issue with its DSA designation as a very large online platform, citing a statement on its website saying it has 33 million monthly users on average.
France, Germany and Britain and U.S. states, including Utah and Texas, have drafted laws requiring porn sites to verify that a user is 18 or older. Methods could include checking credit cards or government-issued ID or scanning faces to estimate ages, but all those systems have raised concerns about privacy and discrimination.
