Skip to content
European Commission Logo - Dark gray sans-serif type with blue and yellow EU flag

European Commission Opens Formal DSA Investigations into Pornographic Platforms to Safeguard Minors

Key Takeaways Formal Proceedings Initiated: The European Commission has opened formal investigations into Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos for suspected breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on the lack of effective age verification and child protection measures. Core Allegations: The platforms are suspected of failing to: Implement appropriate and proportionate age verification tools. Assess and mitigate risks related to minors’ access to adult content. Ensure the rights and well-being of children are central to platform design. VLOP Status Change: Stripchat is being de-designated as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) after falling below the active user threshold for over a year. However, Stripchat remains subject to general DSA obligations, and enforcement will shift to Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority as its national Digital Services Coordinator. Coordinated Action on Smaller Platforms: In parallel, national authorities across the EU are conducting coordinated enforcement against smaller porn platforms under their jurisdiction, reinforcing a pan-European approach to child protection under the DSA. What Comes Next The Commission will intensify investigations, including further evidence collection, interviews, and possible inspections. It may impose interim measures, non-compliance decisions, or accept binding commitments from platforms. These actions follow the platforms’ 2024 risk assessments and RFI responses, which informed…

Read more
Salt Lake City skyline at sunset

Adult Industry Attorney Corey D. Silverstein comments on New Utah Law that Opens Adult Sites to Potential Lawsuits

As reported by XBIZ, “Utah has become the first state to allow civil lawsuits against distributors of adult content for mental and physical damages incurred by minors accessing such material.” The full article can be found online here. A full copy of S.B. 185 – Cause of Action for Minors Injured by Pornography can be found here. Upon request for comment from XBIZ, adult business lawyer, Corey D. Silverstein was quoted: Corey D. Silverstein, an industry attorney, told XBIZ that he finds the new Utah law ludicrous. "While I’d certainly hate for any of my clients to be faced with such a ridiculous civil suit, I hope that I will be the lucky lawyer who gets to challenge this law as being unconstitutional," Silverstein said. "This is by far one of the least thought-out bills I have seen to date. "If he wanted to be transparent, Sen. Todd Weiler would have been better off calling the bill, 'I hate porn.' I would love to know whether this bill was reviewed by any legal professional and get to see that legal professional’s memorandum on whether this law would ultimately survive a constitutional challenge."

Read more
Legal terminology on green gradient background

It’s Not Just Legal Jargon!

Don’t overlook provisions for Choice of Law, Forum Selection and Arbitration About a month ago, I started thinking about topics to cover in this column and right about the same time I had to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft Office. As I was installing the software, a message popped up on my monitor that asked me whether I had read and understood the terms and conditions of the software upgrade. I can honestly say that I didn’t spend any more than 3 seconds reading the terms and conditions before I checked the box and proceeded with the installation. Seriously, does the average user actually spend the 10 hours it would take to read the 300-page document? No way! The average user wants to get on with the installation and use the damned software. Somewhere around the “Your installation is 35% complete” mark, the topic of this month’s article became clear. The adult industry is no different than any other industry: Every adult business is engaged in the process of being a party to a contract on a daily basis. The subject matter of the contract may change but ultimately the contract contains some very important provisions that are…

Read more
Back To Top