EU Investigates Major Adult Sites Over Failure to Protect Minors

The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into four major adult websites, including Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, over concerns they are failing to prevent minors from accessing explicit content. This scrutiny marks a significant move under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which emphasizes the protection of children online.

At the heart of the investigation is the alleged lack of effective age verification systems on these platforms. The Commission argues that these websites are not taking “appropriate and proportionate measures” to ensure underage users are restricted from harmful content, as mandated by the DSA which came into force in 2022.

According to a statement released on Tuesday, online platforms are expected to design their services with children’s safety as a priority. The Commission emphasized that protecting children online should be central to platform functionality and urged companies to act responsibly in safeguarding minors.

Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty and online safety, reiterated the EU’s commitment to creating a secure digital space for children. “The online space should be a safe environment for children to learn and connect,” she said, highlighting the need for robust protections across all digital platforms.

While Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos are under the spotlight, CNN has reached out to these platforms for official comments regarding the allegations. Thus far, none of the companies have responded to the inquiries, leaving their stance on compliance with the DSA unclear at this point.

Notably, in December 2023, the European Union designated Pornhub, Stripchat, and XVideos as “very large online platforms” or VLOPs. This label subjects them to heightened responsibilities under the DSA, including stricter age verification, content moderation, and transparency obligations.

Despite being under investigation, Stripchat is no longer categorized as a VLOP, due to its reported average monthly EU user count falling below the required threshold. Nevertheless, the Commission stressed that this change in classification does not exempt the platform from upholding high standards in protecting minors.

As part of its ongoing commitment to digital child safety, the EU is also developing a new age-verification app. This tool, expected to launch in the summer, will allow users to confirm they are over 18 without revealing personal details—offering a privacy-conscious solution to age-based content restrictions.