The European Commission has launched an official investigation into four major adult websites—Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos—for failing to properly prevent minors from accessing explicit content. This investigation is part of the enforcement of the EU’s Digital Services Act, a new law designed to improve online safety and protect children from harmful materials.
The Commission reviewed the age verification systems used by these platforms and found them to be inadequate. Most sites rely on simple self-declarations of age, which are easy to bypass. EU officials say these weak measures do not meet the child safety requirements set by the Digital Services Act.
There is no fixed deadline for completing the investigation, but the Commission expects to act quickly based on the responses from the companies. If the platforms are found to be in breach of the law, they could face fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue.
To avoid penalties, the adult websites need to propose stronger age verification systems that effectively restrict access for underage users. The Digital Services Act requires that platforms implement mechanisms that truly protect minors and support their mental health by keeping them away from inappropriate content.
While the law targets platforms with more than 45 million users, such as Google, Meta, and X, Stripchat’s status recently changed following an appeal. It will no longer be classified as a “very large online platform” as of September, shifting regulatory oversight from Brussels to Cyprus where its parent company is based. Despite this change, the ongoing investigation will continue.
Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo Freesites, has acknowledged the investigation and said it remains committed to following the law and protecting minors. Legal representatives for XNXX, XVideos, and Technius, the parent company of Stripchat, have not yet made public statements.
This inquiry reflects increasing efforts by the European Union to hold online platforms accountable for user safety. The EU aims to ensure that stronger child protection practices are enforced across the digital space to reduce the risk of harm to young users.
The Digital Services Act updates the EU’s rules for digital platforms with a focus on reducing illegal content, increasing transparency, and protecting vulnerable groups like children. Reliable age verification is a central part of these rules, requiring platforms to check users’ ages before granting access to adult content.
If the websites do not improve their age verification processes, the EU could impose significant legal consequences. This investigation shows the growing commitment of regulators to enforce safer online environments for minors under the Digital Services Act.