European Commission Initiates Proceedings to Address Potential Breaches of Pornography Regulations
The European Commission has launched an investigation into four significant pornographic platforms – Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos – due to their alleged insufficient measures to verify users' ages and safeguard minors from accessing adult content, in adherence to the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Faced with claims of inadequate youth protection mechanisms and ineffective age controls, the Commission has initiated formal proceedings against these platforms, as revealed by Brussels authorities.
Simultaneously, member states are taking action against smaller platforms with pornographic content, with a coordinated effort led by the European Committee for Digital Services aimed at ensuring compliance with the DSA.
Protecting young internet users is a cornerstone of the law, necessitating platforms to prevent minors from accessing pornographic content. This includes implements such as age verification systems and the swift removal of illegal content.
For ease of content reporting, users will find it simpler to report such material. Larger services will be subject to more stringent rules than smaller ones. At present, the Commission is gathering additional evidence, such as through surveys, to strengthen its case.
In mid-May, the Commission published a draft for guidelines on the protection of minors, advocating a range of technical protective measures, including age verification systems and age estimates. By summer, the Commission aims to introduce a Europe-wide app for age verification, enabling access controls without disclosing users' identities.
The investigation seeks to enforce the DSA's requirement for effective, verifiable age checks that go beyond self-declaration, integrated with comprehensive risk management systems, to protect children and promote user wellbeing. This includes robust mechanisms to assess and mitigate risks related to children's rights and the mental and physical wellbeing of users. The Commission is led in this effort by Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen.
[1] Database of State Actions (DSA) - Digital Service Act, https://odajsonline.ec.europa.eu/en/o/dsa/dashboard[2] European Commission - The protection of minors, https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/the-protection-minors_en[3] European Commission - Guidelines on the protection of minors, https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-protection-minors-online_en.pdf
- In light of the ongoing investigation, the European Commission is advocating for rigorous employment policies within pornographic platforms, ensuring that they incorporate age verification systems and implement robust risk management strategies as part of their community policy, aligning with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
- As part of their education-and-self-development and general-news initiatives, tech-savvy citizens are encouraged to learn about the latest developments in digital technology, including the implemented protective measures aimed at ensuring minors' safety online and promoting user wellbeing, such as the upcoming Europe-wide app for age verification.
