In a move to enhance online safety, the European Union has extended its digital regulations to include age verification requirements for three of the world’s largest porn websites. Pornhub, XVideos, and Stripchat, deemed “very large online platforms” with 45 million average monthly users each, are now subject to more rigorous controls under the Digital Services Act, as announced by the European Commission on Wednesday.
These adult websites mark the first targets of the comprehensive Digital Services Act, which imposes stringent obligations to protect users from illegal content and unscrupulous products. Violations of these regulations could lead to fines amounting to up to 6% of global revenue or even a potential ban on operations within the EU. Notably, 19 other online platforms and search engines, including TikTok, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and Google, have already been identified for heightened scrutiny under the Digital Services Act.
Pornhub has contested its classification as a very large online platform, citing a statement on its website claiming 33 million average monthly users. XVideos and Stripchat have yet to respond to requests for comments.
The legislation not only focuses on user age verification but also incorporates provisions to shield children from accessing pornographic content online. France, Germany, Britain, and U.S. states like Utah and Texas have introduced similar laws, requiring porn sites to verify users’ ages through methods such as credit card checks, government-issued ID verification, or facial scanning, though concerns about privacy and discrimination have been raised regarding these methods.
The Digital Services Act also addresses the dissemination of illegal content online, such as child sexual abuse material and content that infringes on fundamental rights like privacy, including “non-consensual” images or deepfake porn. The law mandates platforms to adapt their terms and conditions, interfaces, moderation processes, or algorithms to mitigate these risks.
Having come into effect for major online platforms in August, the Digital Services Act necessitates risk assessments, grants researchers access to publicly available data, and requires the filing of regular transparency reports. The EU has demonstrated its commitment to enforcing these regulations by scrutinizing Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), initiating an investigation on Monday into its efforts to prevent the spread of illegal content like hate speech and incitement to terrorism.