The European Commission has increased scrutiny on XNXX, adding the pornography website to a list of large online platforms subject to deepened controls under new digital services legislation.
XNXX now joins a roster of 25 digital players, including Network X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Google, Facebook (Meta) and three other adult sites, Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos, that were added in December.
Targeting platforms with over 45 million active EU users per month, the legislation aims to protect minors.
XNXX is expected to comply with the stricter rules of the Digital Services Act by mid-November, the European Commission said.
This includes enacting specific measures to protect and ensure accountability from users, along with implementing age verification tools to prevent minors from viewing adult content.
Within this strict control framework, XNXX must also assess and mitigate any systemic risks arising from its services, such as the risks linked to the dissemination of illegal content, as well as, the negative effects on the mental and physical health of users, according to the announcement.
On 13 June, Brussels requested clarity from Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos regarding their measures for protecting minors and combatting illegal content and sexism.
This request is not a fault-finding mission at this stage, instead, it marks the initial step in a procedure that could lead to a formal investigation and possible heavy financial penalties for any proven regulation violations.
