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Commission initiates investigations over potential breaches in pornography regulations within EU territories

Enhancing Juvenile Safety Measures for Effective Guardianship

European Union's regulatory body initiates lawsuits against suspected adult content platforms for...
European Union's regulatory body initiates lawsuits against suspected adult content platforms for potential breaches of established regulations

Commission initiates investigations over potential breaches in pornography regulations within EU territories

European Commission Takes Action Against Pornographic Websites for Youth Protection

In an effort to reinforce youth protection regulations, the EU Commission has initiated formal proceedings against several prominent adult content platforms. These platforms include Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, as announced by Brussels authorities. The accusations center around the alleged failure to implement adequate measures to safeguard minors from harmful content and ineffective age controls.

Simultaneously, member states are confronting smaller pornographic platforms, aiming to ensure they adhere to the Digital Services Act (DSA) as well. A collaborative effort by the European Committee for Digital Services is underway to enforce compliance among these providers.

The Digital Services Act underscores the protection of young users as a top priority. In line with this act, platforms are expected to implement measures to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content, such as age verification systems. They must also swiftly remove illegal content from their sites.

Users will find it easier to report adult content due to enhanced reporting mechanisms. Generally, large-scale services will face stricter regulations than smaller ones. At present, the Commission is gathering more evidence, potentially through surveys, to support its allegations. The initiation of proceedings is merely a preliminary step, and the final outcome has yet to be determined.

The Commission published a draft of guidelines on the protection of minors as early as mid-May. The proposed recommendations involve a range of technical protective measures. These include age verification systems and age estimates, but the Commission deems self-declaration insufficient for high-risk services.

By the summer, a Europe-wide app for age verification is planned to become available, facilitating access controls without compromising user identity. This measure is part of the Commission's strategy to provide robust, privacy-respecting age assurance solutions.

The Commission's guidelines encourage providers to conduct risk assessments to determine the most suitable age assurance methods, whether verification, estimation, or self-declaration of age. High-risk services such as pornographic content, alcohol sales, gambling, or adult-only platforms are subject to strict age verification requirements using verified and trusted government-issued IDs. The upcoming EU Digital Identity Wallet is likely to play a significant role in facilitating secure age verification.

The Commission emphasizes the importance of privacy and data security when designing age verification solutions. Key principles include data minimization, unlinkability, storage limitations, transparency, and protection against unauthorized data interception. The balance between effective age verification and safeguarding minors should not infringe upon fundamental rights such as privacy or freedom of expression.

The Commission is actively enforcing compliance with these guidelines under the DSA. Investigations into large pornographic platforms suggest they have failed to comply with DSA requirements, particularly in regard to implementing appropriate and proportionate age verification measures to deter minors from accessing adult content. These platforms have been accused of insufficient risk assessment concerning the mental and physical welfare of minors and inadequate protective measures.

In summary, the EU Commission is actively working towards enhancing online safety for minors, particularly on adult content websites. Strict age verification measures, utilizing verified government IDs, are mandated for high-risk services. Self-declaration of age is deemed ineffective, and the Commission is developing an interim European age verification solution. Compliance with these guidelines will be rigorously enforced under the DSA.

  1. To strengthen the Digital Services Act (DSA) compliance, the European Commission is advocating for community policies that emphasize robust employment policies aimed at implementing effective age verification systems, particularly in high-risk services such as pornographic content, alcohol sales, gambling, or adult-only platforms.
  2. In line with the Commission's guidelines on the protection of minors and the Digital Services Act, the promotion of education-and-self-development should encompass digital literacy, including understanding the importance of technology in implementing age verification systems and recognizing potential risks associated with online content, thereby enhancing youth protection.

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