EU Investigates Major Porn Sites Over Child Protection Failures
The European Union is investigating major porn websites—Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos—over possible breaches of online content rules aimed at safeguarding children. The EU's Digital Safety Act mandates online platforms to implement effective age verification and risk mitigation measures, under threat of significant fines. The probe will prioritize minors' protection.
- Country:
- United Kingdom
European Union regulators are probing four major pornography platforms—Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos—over violations of the bloc's online content regulations, specifically concerning child protection. The European Commission announced the investigation under the Digital Safety Act (DSA), which emphasizes creating a safer digital space for minors.
The DSA mandates that online giants enforce stringent measures to shield users, particularly those under 18, from explicit content. Failure to comply could result in fines reaching up to 6% of yearly global revenue. The commission highlighted that these companies have not established sufficient age verification processes or risk mitigation strategies necessary to safeguard young users.
The EU is developing an age-verification tool that could be utilized by digital platforms to ensure user age compliance. Meanwhile, smaller porn websites will face scrutiny from individual member states' digital watchdogs. This investigation follows a public consultation on children's protection online, addressing issues like age verification and appropriate access.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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