EU Commission Investigates Adult Sites for DSA Child Protection Violations
The European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos for potential violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on the protection of minors online. These investigations center on the platforms’ lack of robust age verification mechanisms and insufficient risk mitigation measures to prevent minors from accessing adult content. The preliminary findings suggest that these platforms have not implemented appropriate safeguards to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security for minors, as required by the DSA.
In parallel, the European Board for Digital Services, comprising Member States, has launched a coordinated action targeting smaller pornographic platforms. This effort, supervised by national Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs), aims to reinforce the Commission’s enforcement actions and ensure consistent application of the DSA across the EU. Both large and small platforms are thus under scrutiny to uphold the rights and best interests of children online.
The Commission has also announced the termination of Stripchat’s designation as a Very Large Online Platform, following evidence that its monthly active users in the EU have remained below the regulatory threshold for over a year. While Stripchat will no longer be subject to certain enhanced obligations, it must still comply with general DSA requirements, including the protection of minors, under the supervision of the Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority.
Looking ahead, the Commission will conduct an in-depth investigation, gathering further evidence and potentially adopting interim measures or non-compliance decisions. In support of these efforts, the Commission is developing a white-label age verification app, expected by summer 2025, to help platforms verify users’ ages without compromising privacy. This initiative, alongside public consultation on draft guidelines for the protection of minors, underscores the EU’s commitment to a safer digital environment for children.
