EU Targets Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX, and Stripchat Over Child Safety Failures

The EU Digital Services Act Pornhub Investigation is officially on. The European Union formally initiated action against four of the global adult websites with the highest traffic — Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX, and Stripchat — on June 1. The EU suspects these sites of breaching major provisions under the Digital Services Act (DSA), particularly those aimed at safeguarding children on the internet.

The sites have failed to implement effective age-verification mechanisms and adequate risk assessment controls, according to regulators. The platforms risk enormous fines and operational curbs if found guilty. The investigation highlights the EU’s stern bid to govern virtual realms and safeguard minors on adult websites.

Why the EU is Cracking Down?

The European Commission makes it clear that it will not sacrifice child safety. The officials assert that these websites have abdicated their legal responsibility under the DSA. Regulators accuse the platforms of skipping proper risk assessments, using weak age-verification tools, and maintaining poor transparency standards. A preliminary internal probe by the EU uncovered critical failures regarding how these platforms work and how little they do to restrict children from accessing adult content.

The Digital Services Act, enacted in 2022 and wholly applicable from 2024, is one of the most extensive digital regulations globally. It covers all digital services in the EU. The act requires businesses to conduct risk assessments, implement mitigation measures, release transparency reports, subject themselves to independent audits, and implement age-sensitive design. Simply put, platforms have to demonstrate that they are doing all they can to avoid harming individuals—particularly children.

Who Owns These Sites?

All four sites run internationally but are based in the European Union, where the EU has direct legal authority over them. Pornhub is managed by Aylo Freesites Ltd., which is Cyprus-based, and Stripchat is owned by Technius Ltd., also Cyprus-based. XVideos is run by the Czech company WebGroup Czech Republic, and XNXX is managed by NKL Associates, another Czech firm.

What Would Happen If They Were Found Guilty?

If the sites fall short of DSA requirements, the penalties could be severe. Fines of up to 6% of each business’s worldwide yearly revenue can be imposed by the European Commission. For businesses with enormous worldwide traffic, that would amount to hundreds of millions of euros. The EU can also institute operational reforms on these websites, place temporary platform bans, and even name and shame them publicly to compel accountability.

This investigation sends a tough message to every digital service provider: the EU will make its laws stick. Platforms of any size have to follow child safety regulations. Online content regulation is no longer just talk, it is now living policy. With this inquiry, the EU is making a tough precedent to make the digital environment safer for all, particularly children.