France

[FR] ARCOM issues formal notice to two websites accessible to minors for failing to take age verification measures

IRIS 2025-5:1/14

Amélie Blocman

Légipresse

On 6 March this year, the Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique (French audiovisual regulator – ARCOM) sent letters of observation to the providers of five services that allowed minors to access pornographic content without age verification. As stipulated in Article 10-1 of the Loi pour la confiance en l’économie numérique (Law on confidence in the digital economy), as amended by the Loi visant à sécuriser et réguler l'espace numérique (Law aiming to secure and regulate the digital space – SREN) of 21 May 2024, this was the first stage prior to any request for a blocking or delisting order, or even a financial penalty.

Ten days later, since two of the service providers concerned (Pornovore and Chaturbate) had failed to set up an age verification system, ARCOM gave them formal notice to comply with their obligations. In accordance with the law, they had a further 15 days to do so. If, at the end of this period, an age verification system had still not been put in place, ARCOM would be entitled to request that the sites be blocked and delisted, or impose financial penalties.

Meanwhile, ARCOM found that the three other services whose providers had received letters of observation had implemented an age verification solution. It contacted the sites concerned to ensure that the solutions put in place were effective and decided not to issue them with a formal notice.

On the same day, ARCOM also requested the blocking of another pornographic site that was allowing minors to access its content and had failed to identify its provider or postal address. The previous day, the Paris Administrative Court had confirmed that these new blocking measures imposed by ARCOM were compatible with European law.

From 7 June 2025, ARCOM will also have jurisdiction to verify the compliance of a number of pornographic platforms established in other EU member states.

Convinced that a fully effective European framework is the appropriate level of regulation in the long term, ARCOM has called on the European Commission to quickly adopt its guidelines on the protection of minors online.