Pornhub and others accused of breaching EU rules

European regulators have accused Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos of breaching EU rules by failing to prevent children from accessing pornographic content, following a ten-month investigation under the Digital Services Act.

The European Commission said the companies had not used sufficiently robust methods to assess risks to minors. It criticised systems that allow users to confirm their age with a simple click, as well as measures such as content warnings or page blurring, which it did not consider effective.

According to the Commission, the platforms were more concerned with their reputation than with protecting children. Regulators are calling for age verification systems that are both reliable and protect users’ privacy.

Firms could face fines of up to six per cent of their global annual turnover if breaches are confirmed. The European Union said the measures are intended to limit minors’ access to adult content, which it says is available at an increasingly young age.

(reuters, max)