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The European Union has opened formal investigations into four major pornography websites (Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos) over alleged failures to protect minors from exposure to adult content, the European Commission announced Tuesday.
The probe centers on suspected violations of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping regulation that mandates stricter online protections for users, particularly children. The commission cited concerns about the platforms’ lack of effective age verification measures and safeguards for minors’ privacy, safety and mental health.
“Online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services,” the commission said in a statement.
The DSA imposes additional obligations on “very large” online platforms, those with more than 45 million EU users, and empowers the commission to directly oversee their compliance. Although Stripchat no longer meets the threshold, it remains under investigation for its past operations when it did.
Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, said it is "fully committed to ensuring the safety of minors online" and pledged to comply with all legal requirements.
The commission emphasized that these investigations do not yet imply wrongdoing but warned that confirmed violations could result in fines of up to six percent of a company’s global revenue or even bans from the European market.
In parallel, the EU is developing an age-verification app and inviting public input, including from parents, to draft child protection guidelines.
The move adds to a series of ongoing DSA probes targeting tech giants such as Meta, TikTok and X, as the EU ramps up enforcement of its digital safety laws.
*With information from AFP.
