European Union regulators announced on Thursday that popular adult content platforms such as Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos are facing charges for violating EU regulations by allowing minors to access explicit material on their websites. This breach of rules may result in significant fines as a consequence.
These charges stem from a comprehensive 10-month investigation conducted under the Digital Services Act of the EU, which mandates that prominent online platforms take more decisive actions to combat illicit and harmful content.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s tech chief, emphasized the growing concern of children accessing adult content at younger ages and stressed the imperative for these platforms to implement robust, privacy-conscious, and effective measures to prevent minors from accessing their services.
If found guilty of breaching the Digital Services Act, companies could face fines amounting to as much as six percent of their global annual turnover.
The European Commission, responsible for enforcing the act, alleged that the accused companies failed to employ objective and thorough methodologies to evaluate the risks associated with minors accessing their services.
The Commission criticized Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos for prioritizing their reputations over the potential societal risks posed to minors.
The regulator also raised concerns about the companies’ self-declaration tool, which allows users to access their platforms with a simple confirmation click asserting they are over 18 years old.
It was deemed by the Commission that these tools, along with measures like page blurring and content warnings, were ineffective in preventing minors from accessing the websites.
The Commission stressed the necessity for Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos to implement privacy-preserving age verification measures to shield children from harmful content.
Snapchat Also Under Investigation
In a separate development on Thursday, the EU executive commission announced the initiation of a formal investigation into Snapchat under the Digital Services Act due to concerns about inadequate protection for minors from risks such as susceptibility to online predators or recruitment by criminals.
Although Snapchat stipulates a minimum user age of 13, the Commission expressed doubts about the efficacy of the platform’s “age assurance” system in preventing young users from accessing it.
The regulators highlighted shortcomings in the system’s verification of users under 17 to ensure an “age-appropriate” experience and expressed
