Pornhub issues threat to withdraw from France

(MENAFN)
Pornhub, one of the world’s most visited adult content sites, is threatening to withdraw from France due to the country’s strict new age verification rules, which the company argues could compromise user privacy. The site’s parent company, Aylo – which also owns RedTube and YouPorn – has raised concerns about meeting the government’s requirements by the June 7 deadline.

Starting Wednesday, French users accessing Pornhub will see a message criticizing the legislation, warning that the rules are not only ineffective but also pose serious risks to privacy through potential data breaches.

France's media regulator, Arcom, has mandated that adult websites introduce robust systems to ensure minors cannot access explicit content, in line with a 2023 law. Sites that fail to comply face being blocked or heavily fined.

Although the law encourages third-party age checks without collecting personal data, Aylo claims existing technologies are either unreliable or invasive. The company says it supports age checks in principle but argues they should be handled securely at the device level—something Apple, Google, and Microsoft are already capable of, according to Solomon Friedman, vice president at Ethical Capital Partners, Aylo’s owner.

French officials, however, remain firm. Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate for Equality, criticized the platforms for not adapting to the law, saying their exit would result in less harmful content reaching minors. Digital Minister Clara Chappaz emphasized that age checks are about protecting children, not restricting adults.

President Emmanuel Macron has also endorsed broader age verification, including for teens on social media, amid growing concerns over digital harm to youth. France, Spain, and Greece are pushing for EU-wide age checks on major platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), aiming to use the bloc’s market influence to pressure tech giants into action.

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