Brussels, May 27 (EFE).- The European Commission (EC) said Tuesday that it launched investigations into several major pornography websites for allegedly failing to implement effective measures to protect minors, particularly to prevent them from accessing adult content.
“The Commission has opened formal proceedings against Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos for suspected breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA),” the EC said in a statement.
The investigation will focus on potential risks to minors, particularly the lack of “effective age verification measures” meant to restrict underage access to explicit material.
“The Commission preliminarily found that the platforms do not comply with putting in place (…) appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors,” the statement said.
Additionally, the Commission noted that the platforms may have failed to assess and mitigate potential “negative effects” on children’s rights and on s’ mental and physical well-being.
Protecting young s online is one of “the key enforcement priorities,” the EC said, emphasizing that platforms must place “the rights and best interests of children” at the center of how their services are designed and operated.
The Commission said it will now conduct “an in-depth investigation,” which may include requests for additional information, and “conducting interviews, or inspections.”
Meanwhile, EU member states have launched a coordinated effort to address risks on smaller porn sites, which are regulated by national authorities in their respective countries.
“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,” said Henna Virkkunen, EC Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy.
“Together with the Digital Service Coordinators in the Member States we are determined to tackle any potential harm to young online s,” she added. EFE
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