Big-name porn sites back online in France after age check row

Major adult websites Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube were back online in France Friday after a court suspended a decision requiring pornographic platforms based in the EU to verify users' ages.
France has gradually introduced requirements this year for all adult websites to have users confirm their age with details such as a credit card or ID document. The aim is to prevent minors from accessing pornography.
But the Paris administrative tribunal on Monday suspended a government decree while investigating whether it was compatible with EU legislation.
The French government has shared its intention to appeal to the Council of State, the country's highest administrative court.
The three platforms' owner, Aylo, said the decree's suspension was an "opportunity to reconsider more efficient approaches" to age verification.
Aylo, based in Cyprus, had made its websites unavailable in France in early June as a protest against the French decree. Failure to comply could have lead to sanctions including fines or the blocking of the websites.
Aylo argued that this was an ineffective mechanism that exposed people's data to bad actors, hacks or leaks.
"Requiring you to repeatedly provide sensitive personal information creates an unacceptable security risk that we refuse to impose on our users," the company said in a message displayed on the sites' homepages earlier this month.
About 40 percent of children in France access to porn sites every month, according to a 2024 study by France's Arcom audiovisual watchdog.
In a bid to preserve privacy, the government decree also required operators to offer a third-party "double-blind" option that would prevent the platforms from seeing users' identifying information.
Aylo, which reports seven million visitors in France daily across its various platforms, has called instead for governments to require makers of operating systems such as Apple, Microsoft and Google to verify users' ages at the level of individual devices.
The platform also argues that the French law "diverts users to thousands of sites that deliberately circumvent regulations" and fails to moderate videos for issues such as the age and consent of performers.
Other countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany also enforce age-related access restrictions to adult websites.
dax/djt/jj

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Travel + Leisure

32 minutes ago

• Travel + Leisure

This Airline Was Just Named the Best in the World—and It's a 9-time Winner

For many travelers, flying has become little more than a way to reach a destination—efficient, often impersonal, and rarely memorable. But a select group of airlines continue to invest in the idea that the journey still matters. With refined cabins, thoughtful amenities, and attentive service, they aim to make time in the air feel less like transit and more like an experience. Each year, the Skytrax World Airline Awards, often referred to as 'the Oscars of the aviation industry,' recognize the carriers that deliver on that promise. First launched in 1999, the awards are based on global passenger surveys and are considered among the most respected honors in commercial aviation. At the June 17, 2025, ceremony in France, Qatar Airways was named the World's Best Airline for the second consecutive year and the ninth time in Skytrax history. Qatar Airways rose to the top out of more than 325 airlines that were included in the survey results. According to Skytrax's award and survey methodology, the ranking is 'not restricted to member airlines or a pre-selected choice of airline, and any airline in the world can be nominated. The focus of the survey is for customers to make their own, personal choices as to which airline they consider to be the best, underlining the brand as the Passenger's Choice Awards.' 'Being named the World's Best Airline for the ninth time is an extraordinary honor," Qatar Airways Group CEO, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said in the Skytrax press release. "Being continuously recognized as a 5-Star Airline further underscores our mission: to set new benchmarks for the industry and to ensure that our passengers feel genuinely cared for, valued and inspired to return.' Qatar Airways, which is the flag carrier of Qatar and is headquartered in Doha, was also named the Best Airline in the Middle East. Qatar Airways' largest aircraft, the Airbus A380, is a flier favorite. It has two floors and one of the world's largest on-board lounges. Its business class—branded as Qsuites and includes a series of private suites with sliding doors—was named the World's Best Business Class, while the airline's Al Mourjan Garden Lounge in Doha was named the World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge. Singapore Airlines, which was No. 1 in 2023 and has won the award five times, held onto second place for the second year in a row. In third place for 2025 was Cathay Pacific, while Emirates came in at No. 4 and All Nippon Airways (ANA) at No. 5.

Bloomberg

an hour ago

• Bloomberg

EU Finds Israel May Have Broken Human Rights Terms in Accord

A report commissioned by the European Union found that Israel may have broken the humanitarian terms of the accord that dictates their bilateral relations. The report will be presented to the bloc's foreign affairs ministers on Monday and could lead to the suspension of all or parts of the EU Israel Association Agreement, which governs their trade relations.

Yahoo

2 hours ago

• Yahoo

EU review indicates Israel breached human rights in Gaza

A review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement has found "indications" that Israel breached its human rights obligations with actions in Gaza. View on euronews