No more adult pages?! As Europe sets new frontiers in the digital world, the adult content industry also seems to be on the cusp of change. The three giants of online pleasure, Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos, have come under the EU's scrutiny over legislation requiring extra measures to protect minors. But what does this mean for the average user? It will no longer be possible to browse these platforms without leaving behind a huge amount of personal and intimate data.
No more adult pages?! Big changes are coming to the world of online entertainment. The world's three biggest porn sites - Xvideos, Pornhub and Stripchat – will face new regulatory restrictions introduced by the Digital Services Act (DSA) from April. These restrictions are not just that: they require stricter verification of the age of users. This means that users of these websites will have to provide personal information, which also includes payment card information, which is practically the only way to verify age or ID.
Now, that's like walking into a library and being greeted with a request for your credit card just to check out a book. Ironic, isn't it? In a world where online privacy is already more of a myth than a reality, this new EU regulation brings even greater concern for the security of users' personal data. As these platforms collect vast amounts of data about their users, the question arises as to what would happen if someone illegally hacked into their systems. In addition to personal and financial data, it could access data about users' browsing history. Which is, hands down, a nightmare for anyone who values even a modicum of privacy.
Of course, as always, there are detours. Who would have thought that the solution will be in the form of a VPN, which allows anonymous access to these pages from countries outside the EU? So users can continue to enjoy their secret pleasures without having to reveal who they are or how many candles they blew out on their last birthday cake.
But let's go back to the basics. The DSA also implements other measures, such as removing illegal content and conducting external audits, to ensure compliance with the rules. With this, the EU is trying to create a safer online environment, especially for minor users. It may sound like a step in the right direction, but as always, the devil is in the details – and in this case, the details are the personal data of our virtual identity.
While these online pornography platforms are among the most visited sites in the world, Xvideos records 160 million monthly visitors in the EU alone, which represents about a third of EU citizens. Companies that fail to comply with the EU's new digital rules face fines of up to 6 percent of their global turnover. Canada's Pornhub claims it has only 33 million users in the EU and is not DSA-eligible. Stripchat and Xvideos in Prague did not respond to requests for comment.
Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner responsible for implementing the DSA, said: "I have been very clear that creating a safer online environment for our children is a priority when implementing the DSA." Regulators around the world are struggling to police so-called user-generated content sites, which have been criticized for hosting harmful and illegal material. Porn sites have proven particularly difficult to control, as most of the big so-called "tube" sites like Pornhub and Xvideos are run by a few secretive companies.
So what did we learn? Yes, in a world where there is more and more regulation and less privacy, surfing the web is becoming a real adventure. And let's not forget - VPN is becoming the new best friend of online entertainment lovers. Definitely interesting times for the online industry and its users!
