Aylo, the parent company of popular adult websites such as Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube, just trolled everyone hard. In retaliation, it will cut off access to its platforms for all users in France. This decision comes as a direct response to a new law passed by the French government. The law mandates that the adult websites use age verification to make sure no minors have access. The law forces users to verify their age through sensitive personal information like credit card information or ID card.
The French government just unveiled legislation aimed at protecting minors from all adult content. To protect their healthy sexual development, this law is intended to reduce their exposure to violent, degrading and humiliating materials. According to Arcom, France’s regulatory authority, an estimated 2.3 million minors in France visit pornographic websites every month. This is allowed to happen in violation of the law forbidding such access.
In a statement reflecting Aylo’s concerns about privacy implications, Alex Kekesi, an executive at the company, remarked, “Aylo is extremely pro the concept of age verification,” but cautioned that the requirement “poses a very serious risk … with respect to your privacy rights.” He acknowledged the need for age verification but said the approach put forth by the French government would break user privacy.
The French law requires that operators provide a third-party “double-blind” option such as pseudonymization, to protect users’ data. As Kekesi’s follow-up remarks indicate, Aylo has reason to think such legislation would not be enough to protect personal privacy.
Clara Chappaz, France’s junior minister for artificial intelligence and digital technology, responded directly to Aylo’s decision, stating, “If Aylo would rather leave France than apply our laws, they are free to do so.” This position was wholeheartedly supported by Culture Minister Aurore Berge. She added that this is “so much the better” if platforms such as Pornhub would rather pull out of the market than comply with the law.
The purpose of the law, to protect minors from adult content, is admirable. It protects the public by requiring adult material to be clearly labeled. As part of this initiative, the government anticipates that “there will be less violent, degrading and humiliating content accessible to minors in France,” according to Berge.
Solomon Friedman, a specialist in technology-related privacy concerns, claimed that the new law was “almost designed to be unconstitutional.” He stated that it “is communicating directly with the French people to tell them how dangerous, how potentially privacy-infringing, and how ineffective the French law is.” His comments point to a much greater concern—the chilling effect that these types of regulations might have on users’ privacy and freedom.
Due to these changes, Aylo’s platforms will now be unavailable to French users. With this decision, Aylo makes a courageous move. They add to a growing chorus of companies who are re-evaluating their operations to comply with increasingly stringent regulations on user privacy and content accessibility.