LONDON (AP) — Three of the world’s biggest porn websites face new requirements in the European Union that include verifying the ages of users, the 27-nation bloc said Wednesday, expanding the reach of its digital law designed to keep people safe on the internet.

According to the European Commission, which is the executive branch of the EU, Pornhub, XVideos, and Stripchat are now considered “very large online platforms” and will face stricter regulations under the Digital Services Act due to their average monthly user count of 45 million each.

These are the initial adult websites to be focused on by the comprehensive Digital Services Act, which enforces strict responsibilities to protect users from unlawful material and questionable merchandise.

Breaking the rules can result in penalties of up to 6% of total income or potentially being prohibited from doing business in the EU. The DSA has highlighted 19 digital platforms and search engines, such as TikTok, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and Google, for increased monitoring.

Pornhub challenged its classification as a significant digital platform under the DSA, citing a statement on its website claiming to have an average of 33 million monthly users.

I did not receive a response from XVideos or Stripchat when requesting comment.

According to a press release from the commission, the law contains measures to safeguard children from viewing pornographic material on the internet, which may include utilizing age verification methods.

France, Germany, Britain, and certain U.S. states such as Utah and Texas have proposed legislation mandating that adult websites confirm a user’s age of 18 or above. This could involve various methods such as verifying credit card information, government-issued identification, or using facial recognition technology to estimate age. However, these systems have sparked worries about privacy and potential discrimination.

The digital legislation in Europe includes provisions to prevent the spread of illegal content on the internet, such as material related to child sexual abuse or content that violates basic rights like privacy, such as non-consensual images or deepfake pornography.

The commission stated that these measures may involve adjusting their terms and conditions, interfaces, moderation processes, or algorithms.

In August, the DSA came into effect for the largest online platforms. The criteria also involve conducting risk evaluations, granting researchers access to publicly accessible data, and submitting regular transparency reports.

The European Union has taken legal action against Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) by launching an inquiry on Monday. This investigation aims to determine if the platform has not adequately addressed the dissemination of unlawful content, such as hate speech or encouraging terrorism.

Source: wral.com