The giants of the X Youporn and Pornhub are again accessible in France, after the suspension ordered by the justice of a government decree imposing on the pornographic platforms located in the European Union to verify the age of their users.
Taking note of the suspension of the decree, the Aylo group has once again made its sites in France available, which display a very political message illustrated by a Marianne brandishing the French flag as in the painting of Delacroix “Liberty guiding the people”.
Reminder of the facts
In early June, the Aylo group, which has these two pornographic sites hosted in Cyprus, had made them inaccessible in France to protest against a law obliging X sites to set up an identification system preventing minors from accessing it, under penalty of sanctions that can go as far as blocking.
This ban had notably been set to music by an interministerial decree taken in March which struck sites like Youporn and Pornhub hosted in the European Union but in another country than France. The government then praised a “major advance in the protection of our online children and adolescents”.
Porn sites publishers should then require the sending of an identity photo or document for example, by offering at least one method respecting the principle of double anonymity which makes it possible to prove its majority without disclosing its identity.
Reverse to government
Seized in summary proceedings by one of the publishers, the administrative justice however imposed a setback on the government by deciding to suspend the decree of March.
In its judgment, the Paris administrative court considered that there was a “serious doubt about the legality” of this text with regard to a European directive which notably guarantees “the free movement of the services of the Information Society”.
However, the government has announced that it would contest this decision before the Council of State and minimized the scope of the judgment.
Arch for its part said it would continue to act “against sites established in France and outside the European Union”.
