Pornhub has blocked access in France as of yesterday,DMCA the BBC and other news outlets reported. The tube site reportedly exited the country, which is its second biggest market according to CNN, because of a French age-verification law.
The law states that, by June 7, porn sites must install a technical system to verify users' ages beyond a "yes or no" checkbox, according to Radio France Internationale. This must be done by a third party and comply with "double anonymity," meaning the porn site doesn't know the user's exact age and the verification system doesn't know what sites the user visits. The system requires a user's credit card or a government ID.
SEE ALSO: How to unblock Pornhub for free in FrancePornhub, along with YouPorn and Redtube (all owned by parent company Aylo, formerly MindGeek), restricted access in France on June 4.
"We've made the difficult decision to suspend access to our sites (user-uploaded content platforms, including Pornhub, YouPorn, Redtube) in France and instead use our platforms to speak directly to the French people," Pornhub's VP of brand and community, Alex Kekesi, said in a statement.
"For years, we have attempted to collaborate with the government, by consultation, data sharing and offering pilot project participation," Kekesi continued. "The results of all of this have been clear — site-based age verification does not work. It does not protect children, and it exposes the data of millions of French people to privacy breaches and hacks."
The statement goes on to advocate for device-based filtering, and argues that people won't stop looking for porn, and will instead go to non-complying websites.
"The Aylo group has chosen to shirk the imperative of protecting minors by suspending access to its content in France, including for adults, even though there are numerous technical solutions on the market that allow users' age to be verified while ensuring the protection of their personal data," Arcom, France's communication regulator, stated in its own press release.
"Au revoir," France's minister for gender equality, Aurore Bergé, wrote on X, stating that Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube refuse to comply with the law.
Age-verification laws have swept the U.S. in recent years, with nearly a third of states enacting them. Typically, these laws require a proof of age like a facial scan or a government ID. As with France, Pornhub has blocked itself from most of those states, citing the burden to comply.
But free speech advocates that Mashable has spoken to claim that age-verification laws won't function as intended as they can be worked around with software like VPNs, and can cause privacy and security risks. A recent study out of NYU suggested age-verification laws don't work for these reasons.
In January, the Supreme Court heard about the constitutionality of Texas's age-verification law. The decision is expected this month.
Mashable has reached out to Pornhub for comment.
Topics Pornhub
The internet is talking like Kevin from 'The Office' now
NYT mini crossword answers for March 21, 2025
Lenovo Ideapad deal: $200 off at Best Buy, save 50%
Best Echo deal: Save $20 on Amazon Echo Show 5
NYT mini crossword answers for May 9, 2025
Memphis vs. Colorado State 2025 livestream: How to watch March Madness for free
Best Fitbit deal: Save $40 on the Charge 6 at Amazon
Best Chromebook deal: Get $107 off the Asus Expertbook CX54
Time to Unite
NYT Strands hints, answers for March 24
Best Sony deal: Save $100 on WH
Gwyneth Paltrow dislikes intimacy coordinators. What does an intimacy coordinator think?
Tesla trade
Much of what lies on the seafloor remains a mystery. NASA is fixing that.
New MIT report reveals energy costs of AI tools like ChatGPT
Best robot vacuum deal: Get 43% off the Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop
Texas A&M vs. Michigan 2025 livestream: How to watch March Madness for free
NYT Strands hints, answers for March 21
Amazon Prime Grubhub deal: Save $10 off orders of $20 or more
Germany vs. Italy 2025 livestream: Watch UEFA Nations League for free
Tesla China sales return to growth in August despite competition · TechNode'House of the Dragon' Season 2's Targaryen family tree: How everyone connectsBest GoPro deal: $100 off the GoPro Hero 12The stunning new planets discovered in deep space in 2022How to zoom out on a MacNYT's The Mini crossword answers for June 17Walmart+ Week: Get $50 off an onn. 75The 5 most overrated tech products of 2024 (so far)How to disable Live Photos on iPhoneBest GoPro deal: $100 off the GoPro Hero 12Evidence of 'water worlds' found by scientists in deep spaceHow to watch 'Kung Fu Panda 4' online for free: Peacock streaming dealsStargazers might spot this green comet with just binoculars in JanuaryLi Auto profits halved by price war, braces for more headwinds · TechNodeStargazers might spot this green comet with just binoculars in JanuaryAlibaba welcomes Tencent’s WeChat Pay as a payment option on its eNASA's Perseverance rover on Mars just started dropping samples — on purposeSeasun Games’s Mecha BREAK showcases NVIDIA’s AI NPC technology at Gamescom 2024 · TechNodeRomania vs. Ukraine 2024 livestream: Watch Euro 2024 for freeApple's devices are about to get super Staff Picks: The Unseen Bestiary, The Avoidance of Love by The Paris Review The Angel of Forgetfulness by Tracy Daugherty Adaptation; Fall Reading by Lorin Stein Managed Mayhem by Dawn Chan Pox: On 'Contagion' by Caleb Crain Document: Ernest Hemingway to Ursula Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway Cats, Dogs, Men, Women, Ninnies & Clowns by Roz Chast Stieg's Stockholm by Elisabeth Donnelly James Salter: "This Is My Stockholm" by Thessaly La Force Beach Towel Contest: We Have a Winner! by Sadie Stein Delivering Chinese; Self Adaptation by Sadie Stein A Doyle Man by Michael Dirda TPR v. The New Yorker: Lucky and Good by Cody Wiewandt Poem: Episode by Jennifer Michael Hecht The Burden of Home by Aaron Gilbreath Staff Picks: Delightful Fuckers, Ephemeral New York by The Paris Review At the Bazaar by Alexandra Pechman Staff Picks: ‘DOC,’ ‘Luminous Airplanes’ by The Paris Review California Girls by Zan Romanoff