European Union Investigating Four Adult Sites for AV Failures

BRUSSELS—The European Commission announced Monday that it is opening investigations into the adult platforms Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX and Stripchat for what the European Union's executive branch characterizes as "suspected breaches" of key age assurances provisions in the Digital Services Act (DSA). "The online space should be a safe environment for children to learn and connect," stated Henna Virkkunen, the commission's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, in a press release. "Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online." According to the commission, investigations into all four of the above platforms focus on potential risks posed to minors of the European Union's member states, but also the absence of "effective age verification measures." Initial findings prompting the investigation determined that the platforms currently do not comply with age-appropriate design and mitigation measures and risk assessment, and "ensuring a high level of privacy, safety, and security for minors, in particular with age verification tools." "If proven, failure to comply with these requirements would constitute infringements of the DSA," notes the commission's press release. "The opening of formal proceedings does not prejudge its outcome and is without prejudice to any other proceeding that the commission may decide to initiate on any other conduct that may constitute an infringement under the DSA." The European Commission also announced that it has reclassified Stripchat, a popular streaming platform with an operational base in Cyprus, as no longer being a very large online platform (VLOP). The DSA defines a VLOP as an online platform with over 45 million users across E.U. member states. Ownership of Stripchat submitted traffic data showing that the platform no longer meets the classification of a VLOP. The decision applies in four months. The enforcement of bloc-wide age verification was announced earlier this month.