Age control: Pornhub and YouPorn withdraw from France

In France, stricter regulations are to keep children and young people away from porn websites. A new law requiring porn websites to introduce robust age verification systems (AVS), among other things, came into force in March. In protest against the additional measure to verify the age of its users, the Canadian media and IT company Aylo, the parent company of porn portals such as Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube, is suspending its operations in France from Wednesday.

“We have made the difficult decision to block access to our sites in France from tomorrow afternoon and to use our platforms to address the French audience directly,” explained Alexzandra Kekesi, Vice President of Community and Brand Management at Aylo, at an online press conference. The regulation, which is controversial between politicians and providers, obliges operators of pornographic websites to carry out age checks and block users under the age of 18. According to the law, the French regulatory authority Arcom is authorized to block porn sites if it comes to the conclusion that the mandatory age check has not been carried out properly and in good time.

According to the BBC, a spokesperson for Aylo justified the withdrawal from France by saying that the law posed a risk to privacy. Solomon Friedman, Vice President for Compliance at the Canadian investment fund Ethical Capital Partners, sharply criticized the French law. The age determination should take place at device level. Ottawa-based Ethical Capital Partners acquired the porn site operator Mindgeek in August 2023. The company has operated as Aylo ever since. “Google, Apple and Microsoft, all have the ability to verify the age of the user at the operating system or device level and give age information to any website or application,” Friedman said. “The measures introduced by the French government are unreasonable, disproportionate, and ineffective.”

Age verification conflicts elsewhere too

However, disputes over age verification are not only taking place in France. In the United States, Aylo has already withdrawn from several states due to age verification requirements. Pornhub & Co. have been banned from 17 US states. In European countries such as Germany and the UK, providers of porn sites are also facing increasing regulatory pressure. In Germany, the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia (LfM NRW) issued blocking orders against hardcore portals such as Pornhub and YouPorn at the end of 2023. Numerous German internet providers are taking legal action against the blocking orders. In the UK, the British regulatory authority Ofcom is threatening porn providers with tough enforcement measures if they do not introduce strict age checks.

Just a few days ago, the European Commission initiated proceedings against four major porn platforms. Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos are said to have done too little to protect minors from pornographic content. The Commission criticizes the lack of “appropriate and proportionate measures” to ensure a high level of privacy, security, and protection for minors.

French government reacts

“Requiring websites to verify age does not mean stigmatizing adults, but only protecting our children,” French Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Technologies, Clara Chappaz, told AFP news agency. If Aylo prefers to leave France rather than apply the law, the company is free to do so.

France's Minister for Gender Equality, Aurore Bergé, reiterated her government's commitment to protecting minors. “Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube refuse to comply with our legal framework and decided to leave. So much the better! There will be less violent, humiliating and degrading content accessible to minors in France,” she commented on the social network X and bid the Pornhub operator a dry farewell: “Au revoir.”

(akn)