Commission demands details from porn platforms on protections for minors and illegal content

The European Commission in a statement formally requested pornography platforms Pornhub, Stripchat, and Xvideos for detailed information on their compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), Thursday (13 June).

The pornography websites were added to the list of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), that come under the DSA in December.

They join 19 other platforms that need to follow strict content moderation rules. This includes those designated as VLOPs, like social media networks Instagram and TikTok, and e-commerce sites AliExpress and Zalando, as well as some defined as very large online services, such as Google Search and Bing.

The Commission now seeks detailed information on the measures the porn websites have taken to assess and mitigate risks related to the protection of minors online, as well as to prevent the amplification of illegal content and gender-based violence.

Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company said they “have instituted some of the most comprehensive safeguards in user-generated platform history” including “mandatory verification of uploaders” in an emailed statement to Euractiv.

US non-profit National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported that Aylo has fewer incidents of child sexual abuse material and removes such content quicker than other platforms, said the parent company.

“The Commission is asking for an amount of information that seems rather enormous for the 20 days they gave to answer,” Xvideos told Euractiv.

Stripchat did not respond to Euractiv’s request for comment at the time of publication.

The three websites have sued the EU over their obligations as VLOPS, Euractiv reported in March.

European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton has repeatedly said that one of the main goals of the DSA is the protection of minors online.

Three pornography sites sue EU over digital rulebook compliance

The three pornography websites included on the Digital Services Act’s very large online platforms list are suing the EU over their new obligations, Euractiv learned on Thursday (7 March).

The Commission specifically seeks information on the platforms’ age verification mechanisms, and their internal compliance systems, according to their press release.

A deadline of 4 July was set for the porn platforms to respond. Providing inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information may lead to fines.

Should the platforms fail to respond within the timeframe, the Commission can get the information “by decision.” This likely means that the European Commission can issue an official order to compel the platforms to provide the requested information.

If the platforms do not respond to the Commission’s request, they may face “periodic fines,” said the press release.

The DSA aims to create a safer digital environment by clarifying the assignment of responsibility for actors operating online, including how to deal with illegal content, such as dangerous goods, and harmful but legal content like hate speech.

Under its rules, online platforms used by more than 10% of the EU’s population monthly, meaning 45 million users, entail a “systemic risk” for society, so they must follow a specific regime of content moderation, including transparency and risk management obligations.

DSA: Three pornography sites join EU digital rulebook's ‘systemic risk’ list

Three pornography websites will have to abide by strict EU rules after being included on the Digital Services Act’s (DSA) very large online platforms list, the EU Commission announced on Wednesday (20 December).

[Edited by Eliza Gkritsi/Rajnish Singh]

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