EU regulators announced on Thursday that adult content websites Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos are facing charges for violating European Union regulations by allowing minors access to pornographic material on their platforms. This could result in substantial fines.
These allegations stem from a comprehensive investigation that lasted 10 months under the Digital Services Act, which mandates that prominent online platforms take greater measures to combat illegal and harmful content.
EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen remarked in a statement, “Children are encountering adult content at increasingly younger ages, and these platforms must establish strong, privacy-protecting, and effective measures to prevent minors from accessing their services.”
If found guilty of violating the Digital Services Act, these companies could face fines amounting to as much as six percent of their global annual revenue.
The European Commission, responsible for enforcing this act, stated that the companies failed to employ objective and comprehensive methodologies to evaluate the risks posed to children accessing their services.
It accused Pornhub, which is owned by Aylo Freesites, Stripchat, a part of Cyprus’s Technius, XNXX, operated by the Czech group NKL Associates, and XVideos, a unit of WebGroup Czech Republic, of prioritizing their reputations over the societal risks to minors.
Pornhub is among the adult websites facing charges for allegedly violating EU regulations designed to safeguard internet users. (The Canadian Press)
The regulator also criticized the companies’ self-verification tool, which permits users to access their platforms by merely clicking a confirmation that they are over 18.
It asserted that such measures, including page blurring and content warnings, are ineffective in preventing children from gaining access to their sites.
The Commission emphasized that Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos must implement age verification methods that protect privacy to shield children from harmful content.
Snapchat also facing scrutiny
On the same day, the EU’s executive commission announced the initiation of a formal investigation into Snapchat under the Digital Services Act due to concerns that the platform is not adequately safeguarding children from dangers such as heightened susceptibility to child predators or criminal recruitment.
The European Commission noted that while Snapchat sets a minimum age of 13 for users, it suspects that the company’s “age assurance” system is “inadequate” in effectively excluding younger users.
A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and YouTube liable in a landmark lawsuit claiming the companies knew their products were dangerous and addictive to children. A New Mexico jury ruled against Meta in a similar case earlier this week.
Regulators expressed concerns that the system is not effectively verifying whether a user is under 17, which is necessary to provide them with an “age-appropriate” experience. There are also worries that age verification systems are failing to prevent adults from masquerading as minors.
In response, Snapchat stated it has “fully cooperated” with the Commission by “proactively engaging, transparently, and acting in good faith to meet the DSA’s strict safety standards — and we will continue to do so throughout this investigation,” emphasizing that user safety remains a top priority.
This announcement coincides with significant legal rulings in the U.S. Recently, Meta and YouTube were held liable in a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles, following another jury’s decision earlier in the week that found Meta violated state regulations in New Mexico designed to protect children from harm.
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