The European Commission has launched formal investigations into four of the world’s largest adult content platforms — Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos — for potential violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The probe focuses on the platforms’ alleged failure to implement effective age verification tools to protect minors from accessing pornographic material.
Announced on May 27, the investigation is a significant move under the DSA, which requires online platforms to prioritize the safety and rights of children. The Commission claims these platforms have not put in place “appropriate and proportionate” measures to ensure minors are shielded from harmful content, nor have they adequately assessed the risks posed to children’s physical and mental well-being.
“Protecting children online is a top enforcement priority,” the Commission said in a statement. If found in breach, the platforms could face fines of up to six percent of their global turnover. While the investigations could take several months, the Commission has already begun gathering evidence and may enforce interim measures if necessary.
In a related move, the EU also de-designated Stripchat as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP), after determining its average monthly active EU users have remained below the regulatory threshold for over a year. However, general DSA obligations, especially those aimed at protecting minors, will still apply to Stripchat, now under the oversight of Cyprus’s national Digital Services Coordinator.
Simultaneously, EU Member States are coordinating actions against smaller pornographic platforms under their jurisdictions to ensure uniform enforcement of the DSA across the bloc. The Commission is also developing a privacy-preserving age-verification app — expected by summer 2025 — to help platforms comply with regulations until the official EU Digital Wallet is deployed by 2026.
