**EU Launches Probe into Pornographic Websites Over Child Safety Regulations**

The investigation targets major platforms like Pornhub, raising alarms about age verification and minors' rights across the EU.

The European Commission has initiated an investigation into four prominent adult websites, including Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos, and XNXX, for potentially violating EU online content laws relating to child safety. Officials highlighted the platforms' apparent lack of robust age verification protocols designed to prevent minors from accessing adult content. The European Commission emphasized that "online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services," underscoring the importance of child safety in the digital environment.

In response to the probe, Pornhub's parent entity, Aylo, stated its awareness of the investigation and its commitment to ensuring the online safety of minors. The company reiterated its dedication to complying with legal requirements while expressing a desire for governments to establish global measures that promote user safety and security. The investigation revealed that the implicated sites' current mechanisms, such as "click away" pop-ups asking users for their age, may not effectively prevent underage access to adult material.

The Commission found that these platforms have failed to implement appropriate and proportionate measures to safeguard privacy and security for minors. It noted a glaring absence of "risk assessment and mitigation measures" to address any negative impacts on children's rights or their mental and physical well-being. This scrutiny comes at a time when global regulators are increasingly focusing on the compliance of online pornographic services with age verification standards.

In the UK, similar investigations have been launched by the online safety regulator Ofcom against an array of pornographic sites lacking age verification protocols. Pornhub, recognized as the most visited adult site globally, has found itself under intensified regulatory scrutiny, especially within the United States, where it has blocked access in 16 states due to legislation mandating user age verification.

According to Similarweb data, Pornhub ranks 19th among the most visited sites on the internet. In light of the EU inquiry, these pornography platforms, classified as very large online platforms (VLOPs) under the Digital Services Act (DSA) of 2023, are now subject to stringent regulations focused on mitigating harmful and illegal content. Should any violations of the DSA be confirmed, repercussions could include enforcement actions or fines reaching up to 6% of annual turnover.

Although Stripchat will lose its designation as a VLOP, investigations into its suspected non-compliance are underway. The EU aims to enforce child safety measures universally across its member states, with a commitment to extend regulatory oversight to smaller pornographic platforms that fall beneath the 45 million EU user threshold. Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, emphasized, “Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online.”