The European Union added three porn websites – Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos – to the list of major online platforms facing increased control under the Digital Services Act (DSA) on Wednesday. The priority is to bolster children's online safety, the European Commission affirmed.
Joining 19 other platforms including Twitter, TikTok, Google and Facebook (Meta), the three platforms will now fall under the category of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), each hosting over 45 million active EU users. They will therefore be subject to stricter regulations, such as undergoing regular audits and submitting data to European authorities.
Platforms disseminating pornography have come under fire for failing to adequately police non-consensual and/or underage content. 'Deepfakes' (digitally-altered footage) and age verification are also pressing issues, with EU officials continuously urging for stricter implementation of the latter.
"Creating a safer online environment for our children is an enforcement priority under the DSA," stated EU Commissioner for Internal Markets Thierry Breton.
Today we designate 3 additional very large online platforms.
Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos meet the user thresholds to fall under stricter #DSA obligations. Creating a safer online environment for our children is an enforcement priority under the DSA. https://t.co/bq2XhnUqUh — Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 20, 2023
In addition, EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager noted that the designation will "allow for higher scrutiny and accountability" of the algorithms used by porn websites.
The porn websites, collectively bringing in over 225 million visitors in Europe a month, have until the end of April 2024 to align their systems with DSA obligations. Violations can result in fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover, or even a ban from operating in Europe in the event of serious and recurring breaches.
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Pervasive issue
Member States have in the past struggled to reign in porn sites individually. The DSA is thus considered a landmark policy that enables a concerted response to curb access to harmful and illegal content.
In Belgium, one study found that 80% of boys aged 15-17 had come in contact with pornographic content online. Moreover, revenge porn has become an increasingly rampant issue, especially in Belgium: a survey conducted by Institute for Equality revealed that one in 100 Belgians had a nude photo of them shared without their consent.
Sexual consent in the digital space is difficult to determine, and porn websites which allow anyone to upload content make recognising consent extremely challenging. It is hoped that European legislation targeting pornographic sites will have a substantial impact on phenomena of this sort.
