Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos will need to abide by the European Union’s strictest digital regulations after they were designated “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) by the EU executive on Wednesday.
The three adult content companies join the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Google and Elon Musk’s X on the bloc’s list of platforms with more than 45 million average monthly users in the EU.
Brussels will now be able to police the sites’ compliance with its strictest set of rules under the landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), including on protecting minors and addressing the dissemination of illegal content.
To all the brain dead takes like this: no, forcing through regulation users to provide a government digital id when they want to access adult entertainment is not a good idea even if it is done to protect the children.
There are ways to do anonymous authentication methods. Just because companies want to it an claim otherwise it is not true. I was involved in building such tools.
Also, just because those sites host porn, should they be treated differently then other companies?
There is a good reason for THIS EU law. Others are utterly bullshit, but have a look on social media. Look at those boys, yes boys, 12 years and younger, that fall for this alpha male bullshit, or the racist, right-wing propaganda. It is reasonable to protect kids from such influences. And laws, forbidding kids younger then x to use suge sites, must be enforceable.
EDIT: For anonymous age verification: The German ID van be used for such things: it is nfc, your mobile phone can be the reader, or you buy an nfc reader for your pc. The client software is open source, and it sends only the requested data. For example “older then X”.
An such a system is to be rolled out (or maybe even done?) In the whole EU
You know what else works? Parents actually paying attention to their kids web activity
By what means? Install Spyware on the kids device? Spyware that may have vulnerabilities and can lead to even greater risks of the kids? Smart idea …
There is no such thing as anonymous age verification.
The verification process using the German eID is. It is cryptologic secured, no middle man and the site owner only gets the information, if the age limit is fulfilled. Just because you can not imagine it means not that it does not exist.
And no, you don’t can trust the government on such things. That is why the software stack is open source and the functionality can be verified by the citizens. The CCC was involved to verify this …
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