European Commission finds that Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos are not complying with their obligation to protect minors

IRIS 2026-4:1/16

Paola Bellissens

Media Law Expert

On 26 March 2026, in its preliminary findings, the European Commission found that Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos had not complied with the Digital Services Act (DSA) for two main reasons. These preliminary findings are part of formal proceedings launched against the four platforms on 27 May 2025.

Firstly, the Commission noted that the four platforms had not carried out a sufficiently thorough assessment of the risks that their services posed to minors accessing them. It argued, for example, that the platforms attached more importance to commercial concerns than to the societal risks to minors.

Secondly, it noted that the four platforms had not implemented any measures to prevent minors from accessing their content and had therefore failed to protect the rights and wellbeing of minors. Simply stating in their terms of use that the services were intended for adults was not enough. In this case, minors could access content with a single click. The Commission therefore considered that self-declaration was not a sufficient measure.

The platforms will now be able to examine the documents contained in the investigation files, reply in writing to the Commission's various findings and, finally, take the necessary measures to remedy the breaches identified. The European Board for Digital Services will also be consulted. If it confirms the Commission's point of view, a non-compliance decision may be adopted. This could result in the platforms being fined up to 6% of their annual worldwide turnover.