Colman Noctor: France pulls the plug on underage access to pornography

In a novel move, the law introduces a “double anonymity” mechanism, involving an independent third party overseeing the age verification process.
Colman Noctor: France pulls the plug on underage access to pornography

Colman NOctor: "The French culture minister Aurore Berge wrote on X that it would “so much the better” if Pornhub and other Aylo sites cut off access for French users rather than “conforming to our legal framework”."

In a significant stride toward safeguarding its children, the French government has enacted stringent age verification laws targeting online pornography. Aimed at curbing underage access to explicit content, the move has sparked a global conversation on the balance between child protection and digital privacy.

As of June 4, 2025, all adult websites accessible within the country are required to implement robust age verification systems. These systems must ensure that users are at least 18 years old, using details such as a credit card or ID document, before granting access to their content. 

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