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Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
EU investigates four porn platforms over risks to children
HighlightsThe European Commission has launched an investigation into four pornographic platforms, including Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, for allegedly failing to implement effective age verification measures to protect minors from accessing adult content. Under the European Union's Digital Services Act, very large online platforms with at least 45 million monthly active users have heightened obligations to safeguard children and ensure their privacy and security online. The investigation could lead to fines of up to six percent of a firm's global turnover for violations, and platforms found guilty of serious and repeated violations may face bans from operating in Europe. The EU launched an investigation on Tuesday into four pornographic platforms over suspicions they are failing to stop children accessing adult content in breach of the bloc's strict digital content law. The European Commission said its investigations into Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos "focus on the risks for the protection of minors, including those linked to the absence of effective age verification measures". The commission, the European Union's tech regulator, accused the platforms of not having "appropriate" age verification tools to prevent children from being exposed to porn. An AFP correspondent had only to click a button on Tuesday stating they were older than 18, without any further checks, to gain access to each of the four platforms. The commission found that the four platforms did not have "appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors". They also did not have measures in place to prevent negative effects on children as well as users' mental and physical well-being, the commission said. "Online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services," it added. Pornhub's parent company Aylo said it was "fully committed to ensuring the safety of minors online", adding that "We will always comply with the law." The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) forces the world's biggest tech companies to do more to protect European users online and has strict rules to safeguard children and ensure their privacy and security. Under the law, "very large" online platforms with at least 45 million monthly active users in the EU have even greater obligations, and they are regulated by the commission rather than national authorities. Fearful over children's access to adult content, the commission said it would work with national authorities to make sure smaller porn platforms apply the same rules. "Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online. Together with the digital service coordinators in the member states we are determined to tackle any potential harm to young online users," EU digital tsar Henna Virkkunen said. - Protecting children - The EU also said it would remove Stripchat from the list of "very large" platforms since it now had fewer than 45 million monthly active users on average, with its probe to focus on the period when it fell under its purview. Brussels noted that the launch of formal proceedings did not prejudge the investigation's outcome, and that there was no deadline for its completion. Violations, if proven, risk fines of up to six percent of a firm's global turnover. Platforms found guilty of serious and repeated violations can also be banned from operating in Europe. The EU in parallel has invited the public including parents to help prepare guidelines for the protection of children online, and it is developing an age-verification app. The DSA, which has a wide remit, sits within the EU's powerful legal weaponry to regulate Big Tech. Brussels has opened a wave of probes under the DSA since 2023 including into Meta's Facebook and Instagram as well as TikTok and Elon Musk's X social media platform.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
EU investigates four major porn sites under bloc's digital rules on child protection
European Union regulators said Tuesday they're investigating four major porn websites over suspicions that they've breached the bloc's online content rules that include provisions for protecting children from pornographic material. The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, said it has opened formal proceedings against Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos under the 27-nation bloc's Digital Safety Act. The sweeping rulebook, also known as the DSA, requires internet companies and online platforms to do more to protect users under threat of hefty fines worth up to 6% of annual global revenue. The commission said protecting young users online is one of the DSA's priorities and it will now carry out an in-depth investigation into the companies 'as a matter of priority.' The investigation will focus on the risks to protection of minors, including dangers associated with the lack of effective age verification measures. It said the porn sites have failed to put in place 'appropriate and proportionate measures' to a high level safety and security for minors, especially when it comes to age verification tools designed to prevent minors from getting to adult content. The sites also lack 'risk assessment and mitigation measures' of any negative effects, including on users mental and physical well-being, the commission said. Pornhub, XNXX, Stripchat and XVideos were classed as 'very large online platforms' that face the highest level of scrutiny under the DSA. However the commission said it granted Stripchat's request to be removed from the list because it didn't have enough users. Pornhub's parent company Aylo said it's aware of the investigation and is 'fully committed' to ensuring online safety of minors. 'We will always comply with the law, but we hope that governments around the world will implement laws that protect the safety and security of users,' the company said in a statement. Aylo said that 'the real solution for protecting minors and adults alike' is to verify users' ages with individual devices rather than having websites do it. XNXX, Stripchat and XVideos didn't respond to requests for comment. 'The online space should be a safe environment for children to learn and connect. Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online,' Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a statement. Officials said the EU is also working on its own age-verification app that online platforms can use to verify if a user is over the age of 18, without revealing any other personal information. It will be available by the summer. The investigation comes after the commission held a public consultation on draft online children protection measures that included proposals for age verification and 'age estimation' methods to block young people from inappropriate content. Along with the bloc-wide scrutiny of big sites, smaller porn platforms will also face supervision from individual EU member countries's digital regulators, the Commission said.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
EU investigates four pornography platforms over risks to children
The EU launched an investigation on Tuesday into four pornographic platforms over suspicions they are failing to stop children accessing adult content in breach of the bloc's strict digital content law. The European Commission said its investigations into Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos "focus on the risks for the protection of minors, including those linked to the absence of effective age verification measures". The commission, the European Union's tech regulator, accused the platforms of not having "appropriate" age verification tools to prevent children from being exposed to porn. An AFP correspondent had only to click a button on Tuesday stating they were older than 18, without any further checks, to gain access to each of the four platforms. The commission found that the four platforms did not have "appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors". They also did not have measures in place to prevent negative effects on children as well as users' mental and physical well-being, the commission said. "Online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services," it added. Pornhub's parent company Aylo said it was "fully committed to ensuring the safety of minors online", adding that "We will always comply with the law." The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) forces the world's biggest tech companies to do more to protect European users online and has strict rules to safeguard children and ensure their privacy and security. Under the law, "very large" online platforms with at least 45 million monthly active users in the EU have even greater obligations, and they are regulated by the commission rather than national authorities. Fearful over children's access to adult content, the commission said it would work with national authorities to make sure smaller porn platforms apply the same rules. "Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online. Together with the digital service coordinators in the member states we are determined to tackle any potential harm to young online users," EU digital tsar Henna Virkkunen said. The EU also said it would remove Stripchat from the list of "very large" platforms since it now had fewer than 45 million monthly active users on average, with its probe to focus on the period when it fell under its purview. Brussels noted that the launch of formal proceedings did not prejudge the investigation's outcome, and that there was no deadline for its completion. Violations, if proven, risk fines of up to six percent of a firm's global turnover. Platforms found guilty of serious and repeated violations can also be banned from operating in Europe. The EU in parallel has invited the public including parents to help prepare guidelines for the protection of children online, and it is developing an age-verification app. The DSA, which has a wide remit, sits within the EU's powerful legal weaponry to regulate Big Tech. Brussels has opened a wave of probes under the DSA since 2023 including into Meta's Facebook and Instagram as well as TikTok and Elon Musk's X social media platform.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Porn sites to be investigated for failing to comply with rules to protect children
Adult content platforms Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos will be investigated for failing to comply with rules to protect children, EU regulators said yesterday, in a move that could lead to fines of as much as 6pc of their global annual turnover. The European Commission said the companies had not complied with the Digital Services Act, which requires them to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms following their designation as very large online platforms in 2023.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
PornHub Among Adult Sites Probed by EU on Child Safety Fears
The European Union has started a probe into adult video platforms PornHub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos based on concerns over child protection. The EU's executive arm opened formal proceedings that alleged the four websites failed to take actions to protect minors from accessing pornography, including the use of age-verification mechanisms, required by the Digital Services Act. The European Commission said in a statement Tuesday that it will collect evidence and responses from the companies over the next few months.
