04.06.2025
2 min
681
French users will lose access to Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube starting June 5. Aylo, which owns the platforms, has decided to suspend operations in response to the French regulator’s new rules on age verification.
French regulator Arcom is ordering adult platforms to implement an “effective” age verification system that ensures users are over 18. Aylo, which operates Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, was given three months to implement the mechanism but decided to test it by restricting access in France. The company has proposed alternative ways to protect minors, including device-level verification that does not require the transfer of personal data. However, according to information from Aylo, French authorities have ignored these proposals.
The platforms have already warned French users about the upcoming changes. On June 5, a message featuring Eugene Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” will be displayed as a sign of protest. According to Arcom, more than a third of 12-17-year-olds in France regularly visit these websites, which the government says requires strong measures. Companies that fail to comply with age verification requirements face being blocked in France and fines of up to 4% of global revenue.
France has passed a law requiring age verification on pornographic websites as early as 2023. The initiative is part of a larger EU strategy to protect children online. Other European countries are also considering introducing similar measures. Aylo operates several platforms, including video services, premium sites, adult apps and advertising networks. The company says it supports the idea of age verification but opposes methods that it believes put privacy at risk.
The conflict between digital security, child protection and user privacy is intensifying. France insists on safeguards, while Aylo advocates a more private approach. Until the parties find a common solution, users in France find themselves at the epicenter of a confrontation between legal protection and digital freedoms.
