Brussels, May 27 (EFE).- The European Commission (EC) said Tuesday that it launched investigations into several major pornography websites for allegedly failing to implement effective measures to protect minors, particularly to prevent them from accessing adult content.<\/p>
\u201cThe Commission has opened formal proceedings against Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos for suspected breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA),\u201d the EC said in a statement.<\/p>
The investigation will focus on potential risks to minors, particularly the lack of \u201ceffective age verification measures\u201d meant to restrict underage access to explicit material.<\/p>
\u201cThe Commission preliminarily found that the platforms do not comply with putting in place (\u2026) appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>
Additionally, the Commission noted that the platforms may have failed to assess and mitigate potential \u201cnegative effects\u201d on children\u2019s rights and on users\u2019 mental and physical well-being.<\/p>
Protecting young users online is one of \u201cthe key enforcement priorities,\u201d the EC said, emphasizing that platforms must place \u201cthe rights and best interests of children\u201d at the center of how their services are designed and operated.<\/p>
The Commission said it will now conduct \u201can in-depth investigation,\u201d which may include requests for additional information, and \u201cconducting interviews, or inspections.\u201d<\/p>
Meanwhile, EU member states have launched a coordinated effort to address risks on smaller porn sites, which are regulated by national authorities in their respective countries.<\/p>
\u201cThe online space should be a safe environment for children to learn and connect. Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online,\u201d said Henna Virkkunen, EC Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy.<\/p>
\u201cTogether with the Digital Service Coordinators in the Member States we are determined to tackle any potential harm to young online users,\u201d she added. EFE <\/p>
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