French authorities have announced they will block five top porn websites around the globe starting tomorrow. However, they must introduce safeguards to ensure that all users over 18 are protected.
To prevent users from accessing adult websites such as Pornhub and xHamster or XVideos, XNXXX, Tukif, stricter age restrictions were put in place by XVideos, XVideos and XVideos.
France’s Higher Audiovisual Council has taken the initiative to make websites comply with an earlier law which required that all adult content be verified for age.
According to the council, the current site’s tactic of asking users to check a box stating that they are 18 or older is unacceptable and they have failed to implement better controls.
The council stated that if effective verification was not carried out, it will ask for a judge in order to ban the locations.
The council stated that children exposed to such content could experience lasting shock.
French authorities have announced they will block five top porn sites around the world from tomorrow (stock image).
For an acceptable age verification, the user must present a form of verifiable identification document or provide other information, such as bank accounts or credit cards.
Justine Atlan (director of e-Enfance child safety association) stated: ‘It’s important to pressurize pornography websites so that they can’t continue to flout legal framework to which their own agreements have been made.
He said that the protection of children online was in no way contrary to individual liberties.
Pornhub, however argued that these rigorous screenings would intrude on user privacy and challenged accusations that it hadn’t done enough to protect its users.
According to the porn giant, it has devoted itself to creating industry-leading safeguards that protect its community.
“French regulators must strive to replicate that commitment. They should not implement plans which infringe on the privacy and leave large areas unchecked of the adult business.
The UK does not have age verification controls, however, an inter-party parliamentary panel announced December 14th that they will push for similar protections in the Draft Online Safety Bill.
France joins European neighbors Germany to fight for change in the industry of adult entertainment by opposing sites and organisations that prevent children from accessing it.
These two EU member states have some of the most stringent rules in the world for the regulation and monitoring of content that is considered adult.
The UK does not have these controls yet, however, a cross-party committee of parliament announced that on December 14, they were pushing for similar safeguards in the Draft Online Safety Bill.
This long-awaited law will place a duty on tech companies to safeguard users against harmful content. Ofcom will be the regulator, with the ability to fine them up until 10% of their worldwide turnover.
The Government has two months to respond to the committee’s recommendations and the bill is due to be put to Parliament next year.