Starting from today, the French will no longer have access to the pornographic sites Pornhub, Youporn, and RedTube, owned by the parent company Aylo.
When they try to access these sites, they will see a message stating a new French law requiring pornographic sites to verify users’ age (e.g., with an ID or credit card).
To protect privacy, the sites will need to provide age verification through a third-party service to prevent the platforms from accessing users’ information.
Adult sites are also under investigation by the EU for non-compliance with child protection regulations.
A company representative, however, called the measure an “ineffective mechanism” that puts personal data at risk in case of a breach or leak.
They stated that to ensure age verification, governments should target software like Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s iOS, or Google’s Android, rather than focusing on pornographic sites. In France, the relevant regulatory authority estimates that 2.3 million minors access adult content sites illegally each month.
Pornographic sites, including Pornhub, are also under investigation by the EU for non-compliance with child protection regulations.
