Pornhub, three other porn sites face EU child safety probe

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos and XNXX over concerns they may be violating EU online content laws by failing to implement adequate safeguards for children.

The Commission said the four platforms appeared not to have in place effective age verification methods to prevent minors from accessing adult material, nor sufficient measures to uphold children’s rights and well-being online.

“Online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services,” it stated.

According to the BBC, Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, confirmed its awareness of the probe, saying it is “fully committed to ensuring the safety of minors online”.

“We will always comply with the law, but we hope that governments around the world will implement laws that protect the safety and security of users,” it added.

According to the Commission, its preliminary findings suggest the platforms have not applied “appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors”. 

It also noted that so-called “click away” pop-ups in which users are simply asked to confirm whether they are over 18 may not meet the legal standard for verifying age.

The investigation also flagged the absence of risk assessments and mitigation strategies addressing the potential impact on children’s rights and their physical and mental health.

This latest action comes amid growing global scrutiny of online pornography platforms. In the UK, media regulator Ofcom recently opened investigations into two adult sites accused of lacking sufficient age checks. 

It named Itai Tech Ltd and Score Internet Group LLC as failing to demonstrate how they were preventing children from accessing explicit content.

Pornhub, ranked as the most visited pornographic site in the world and the 19th most visited site globally, is already facing mounting regulatory pressure. 

It has restricted access in 16 US states, including Texas and Florida, following new laws mandating user age verification.

The company has argued that a system-wide approach to age verification, implemented on user devices rather than individual sites, would be more efficient and better protect user privacy.

The four sites under investigation were designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) in 2023. 

The DSA imposes stricter obligations on major online platforms to monitor and remove harmful or illegal content.

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If found in breach of the DSA, the platforms could face enforcement actions, including fines of up to 6% of their global turnover.

While the Commission said Stripchat would no longer be classified as a VLOP, the company remains under investigation for suspected breaches of EU digital rules.

It also warned that smaller adult platforms, even those below the 45 million user threshold, are still expected to comply with safety requirements under the DSA.

“Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online,” said Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy. 

“Together with the Digital Service Coordinators in the Member States we are determined to tackle any potential harm to young online users.”

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