French Authorities Target Social Media for Adult Content Regulation

French authorities are intensifying efforts to restrict access to adult content on social media, considering the designation of platforms like Reddit, Bluesky, and Mastodon as pornographic websites. This move would require these platforms to implement strict age verification under new French regulations that came into force on June 8, 2025. Non-compliance could result in substantial fines, removal from search engines, or complete blocking within France.

The French Digital Minister’s office confirmed ongoing legal reviews to determine if such platforms can be formally classified as pornographic under national law. However, challenges arise due to the European Digital Services Act (DSA), which places the authority to regulate “Very Large Online Platforms” (VLOPs) with the European Commission rather than individual member states. The DSA obliges these platforms to mitigate systemic risks, including the exposure of minors to adult content, but leaves discretion over the methods employed.

Enforcement has already led to mixed results. While some adult sites have complied with French age verification rules, others such as xHamster, XVideos, and XNXX have refused, potentially facing penalties from France’s communications regulator, Arcom. Major adult content provider Aylo Freesites, owner of Pornhub and YouPorn, has blocked access to its services in France, citing concerns over privacy and the intrusiveness of the new requirements.

At the EU level, the Commission is developing a harmonized age verification framework, with France participating in pilot trials. The Commission has also opened Digital Services Act investigations into several major platforms, including Pornhub and X, to ensure compliance with risk mitigation obligations. Whether the Commission will specifically target the dissemination of adult content on social media platforms remains to be seen.