“Pornhub, Stripchat and known that are subject to the Digital Services Regulation (DSA), the Community regulation aimed at better protecting consumers. and their fundamental rights on the Internet by combating illegal content, as well as by creating greater transparency and ensuring a “single and unified market in the EU”.
The three porn portals join the list of 19 major platforms identified by Brussels in August, all of which have more than 45 million users across the EU. This includes the most important social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube or X), but also commercial portals such as Amazon, Zalando or AliExpress and tools such as Google Maps or Bing.
Today we name 3 more very large online platforms.
Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos meet the stricter user thresholds #DSA Commitments.
Creating a safer online environment for our children is an enforcement priority of the DSA. https://t.co/bq2XhnUqUh
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 20, 2023
The websites examined by the DSA must have devices that allow them to quickly flag and remove illegal content. For this to be possible, they must have tools that allow users to easily alert them to illegal content they see. They must also combat misinformation and take corrective action when necessary, or protect minors and combat gender-based violence. They also need to be more transparent and provide a better accountability system.
“Child pornography, cyberbullying and unrest around the world have shown the role powerful but unregulated digital spaces can play in our lives,” Breton recalled on August 25, when the Commission published the names of the 19 websites that the DSA subject to examination. Today the list is completed by websites specifically dedicated to pornography.
If platforms fail to comply with the new rules, they face sanctions that can trigger fines of up to 6% of their global turnover. In the case of “dishonest” platforms that refuse to fulfill important obligations, “thus endangering the lives and safety of people”, it may also be possible, as a last resort, to ask a court to temporarily suspend their service with the participation of all interested parties parties, the Commission notes.
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