EU launches probe into four porn websites over child safety concerns

The European Commission has launched an investigation into four major adult websites including Pornhub , Stripchat , XNXX , and XVideos .

The probe concerns whether these porn websites are failing to protect children online. The inquiry centres on whether they are breaching new rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to make the internet safer, especially for minors.

The DSA, the EU’s rulebook for large online platforms, requires companies to take strong steps to shield users from harmful or illegal content. This includes ensuring that children cannot easily access adult material, possibly through age-verification tools. “The online space should be a safe environment for children to learn and connect,” Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s top technology enforcer, was quoted as saying to the Financial Times. “Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online.”

The commission’s probe began after reviewing internal company data and formal responses from the platforms. It found that the current safety measures do not adequately reduce the risks to children. In particular, the sites were criticised for lacking effective age verification and for not having proper privacy, safety, and security protections for minors.

In parallel, EU member states have coordinated a crackdown on smaller pornographic websites under their own national laws, aiming for consistent enforcement of the DSA throughout the bloc. If the major platforms do not comply, they could face interim actions or hefty fines, up to 6 per cent of their global turnover.

The commission also revealed that Stripchat will soon be removed from the list of “very large online platforms” under the DSA rules, meaning it will no longer be subject to the strictest requirements.

Global regulators have long struggled to police user-generated content sites, which depend on individuals posting material and have often been accused of hosting harmful or illegal content. Pornographic websites have been particularly challenging to control.

Addressing concerns about censorship, a commission official said the EU is “agnostic to the content” and is focused solely on ensuring platforms follow the rules, reports Finacial Times.

Furthermore, Brussels is developing an EU-wide age-verification app. This tool will allow platforms to confirm users are over 18 without sharing additional personal details. It is expected to be available later this year.