They would have been almost forgotten, and yet. For several weeks now, several large pornographic sites have been blocked in France. Faced with the pressure of the Sren law and the local authorities, the giant Aylo, holder of the Pornhub, Redtube and Youporn platforms (among others) has chosen to cut its access from French territory. If many thought that it was a first application of French regulations, it is the American company that is at the origin of this decision. Rather than complying with the common requirements of the CNIL and Arch, Aylo prefers to leave the country, against a background of privacy. The company now demands a device verification (Google, Apple and Microsoft having, according to them, the ability to integrate such a system).
This time, this is the sanction
This August 4, 2025, the authority for regulating audiovisual and digital communication formally put five European heavy goods vehicles in the pornographic sector – Xhamster, XVIDEOS, XNXX, XHAMSTERLIVE and TNAFLIX – to implement, within three weeks, an age verification deemed effective, under penalty of imminent blocking on French territory.
This offensive is not a simple announcement effect. Following the adoption of the SREN law, any site broadcasting pornographic content must set up a robust majority control system. The declaration on honor is no longer enough: now, it is a question of imposing the sending of an identity document, a photo or a video selfie, solutions validated by the technical repository of the Arcom. These devices, supposed to guarantee the double anonymity, allow the access provider to check the identity of the user, while the consulted site collects only age, without recording other sensitive data.
Behind this regulatory development, the displayed will of the public authorities is clear: stemming the massive access of minors to X sites – one adolescent out of two would regularly consult such content, according to Arcom. After these three weeks of delay, the digital gendarme will not only be able to ask access providers to block access to these sites, but also make their dereference of search engines, measures so far rarely applied on this scale.
A European sanction
The regulatory battle is also played on a continental scale. If France has decided to go significantly further than many of its neighbors, the application of its measures to European sites is a complex challenge. The ministerial decree of February 26, 2025 provides for the extension of the competence of the Arch to certain sites outside the borders, with the prospect of seizing the Court of Justice of the European Union on possible disputes.
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