EU regulators announced on Tuesday, May 27, that they are investigating four major adult websites — Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos — for possibly breaking EU online content laws. According to the European Commission, the sites haven’t put proper age verification systems in place to stop children from viewing pornography.
If found guilty, the companies behind the sites—based in Cyprus and the Czech Republic—could face fines of up to 6% of their global revenue. The investigation will also examine whether the sites carried out proper risk assessments and took steps to reduce harm, as required by law.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement, “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.”
The sites are considered “very large online platforms” under the EU’s Digital Services Act of 2023, which is based on how many monthly visitors they get. Because of their reach, these platforms are legally required to take extra precautions to protect children from harmful content. Regulators suspect the companies have failed to meet those obligations.
