Adult Content Platform Aylo Pulls Out of France in Protest Against Age Verification Law
Pornhub Owner Restricts Access in France in Defiance of Age Verification Legislative mandate
In a defiant stand against France's newly-enacted child protection measures, Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, RedTube, and YouPorn, has blocked access to its platforms in France starting from Wednesday. The move comes after the company lambasted the French government's attempts to shield children from inappropriate content by making adult platforms take additional steps to confirm users' age.
"We can confirm that Aylo has made the tough call to suspend access to our user-uploaded platforms - Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube - in France," stated a Pornhub spokesperson. The company intends to use its platforms to convey its message directly to the French public.
Under France's SREN law, which is set to take effect on Saturday, adult content platforms are mandated to implement age verification measures to ensure users are 18 or older. The French media regulator Arcom retains the power to request platform closures and levy fines if age checks prove insufficient.
Solomon Friedman, a partner at Ethical Capital Partners, which owns Aylo, criticized the law in a press briefing, branding it as "ineffective," "dangerous," and "potentially privacy-infringing." According to Friedman, the company's decision stems from a desire to uphold its core values and engage in open dialogue with the French people on the controversial issue.
France's Minister for Gender Equality, Aurore Bergé, responded to Aylo's statement with "au revoir" on X. She expressed optimism that less violent, degrading, and humiliating content would be inaccessible to minors in France as a result of Aylo's move. France's Junior Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology, Clara Chappaz, echoed this sentiment, stating that if Aylo opted to abandon the French market rather than adhere to the law, that was their prerogative.
The European Commission recently announced that it is investigating four major porn websites under the Digital Safety Act for potential breaches of online content rules relating to child protection. The suspected issues include the effectiveness of age verification measures deployed by these sites. Pornhub, the subject of the Commission's inquiry, has acknowledged the probe and reassured the public of its commitment to ensuring the online safety of children. Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, other sites under investigation, have remained tight-lipped on the matter.
"In response to France's new child protection measures, Aylo plans to use its platforms for advocacy, disseminating their message about the controversial age verification law to the French public. Meanwhile, the company's suspension of its platforms in France also raises questions about the effectiveness of age verification systems in the broader context of social-media, entertainment, politics, and general-news, areas that often intertwine with adult content."
"As France's move to implement stricter age verification measures on adult content platforms becomes a topic of discussion, it highlights the role of technology in shaping society's norms. The ongoing investigation by the European Commission into potential breaches of online content rules regarding child protection further underscores the need for robust and ethical technology solutions in the realm of social-media, politics, entertainment, and general-news."
