Age Verification Law: Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube to Block Access in France Starting Wednesday

Facing pressure from French legislation requiring age verification for adult content, Aylo — the parent company of major pornographic sites such as Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube — announced it will suspend access to its platforms in France as of Wednesday afternoon. Instead of streaming videos, the sites will display a protest message against the age-check law, which the group deems “dangerous” for user privacy.

A Defiant Response to a Controversial Law

“We’ve made the difficult decision to suspend access to our sites in France and use these platforms to speak directly to the French public,” said Alex Kekesi, Aylo’s Vice President of Brand and Community. The company argues that France’s mandate for systematic age checks is ineffective, intrusive, and presents significant data security risks.

With approximately 7 million daily visits from France, Aylo warns that repeated requests for sensitive personal information could lead to data breaches. Solomon Friedman, Vice President of Ethical Capital Partners (Aylo’s parent investor), insists that device-level age verification would be safer — a solution the company claims was proposed to the government and ignored.

Tensions Mount Between Aylo and French Authorities

The French government stands firm. “Protecting minors is our duty. If Aylo refuses to comply, so be it. Good riddance!” declared Minister Aurore Bergé on X. Digital Minister Clara Chappaz added, “Lying to avoid following the law and taking users hostage is unacceptable. The double-anonymity system ensures privacy.”

Since April 11, adult websites accessible in France — whether based locally or abroad — have been required to verify users’ age via certified intermediaries. These intermediaries must not collect or store personal data, and the verification methods must include options like ID scans or AI-based age estimation from a selfie, while guaranteeing complete user anonymity.

European Pressure Mounts

The debate is intensifying at the EU level as well. The European Commission has announced it will launch its own age verification app in July 2025. It also opened investigations into several sites, including Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, for failing to meet the bloc’s standards on child protection.