Brussels (EFE).- The European Commission took new steps towards greater protection for minors on digital platforms on Thursday by opening an investigation into Snapchat and filing accusations against Pornhub and other pornographic websites for possible violations of European regulations.
These proceedings could result in sanctions for the companies if they do not correct their practices.
The EC proposed that platforms integrate a verification application launched by the government and called for Member States to cooperate in integrating the application and creating digital identity wallets, which could be made available to citizens before 2026.
“The European Commission preliminarily found Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) for failing to protect minors from being exposed to pornographic content on their services,” they said in a statement.
The Commission concluded that PornHub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos allow children access to pornographic content through a simple declaration from the users stating they are over 18, which reveals clear deficiencies in measures to protect minors and would violate the Digital Services Act.
The Commission began investigating these platforms in May 2025 and, nearly a year later, found that these companies prioritized business concerns, such as reputational impact, over the social effects on minors.
In France, it is estimated that two million minors access Pornhub monthly, representing over a third of the website’s total users, according to the French telecommunications regulatory authority (ARCOM).
The investigation of Snapchat focuses on suspicions that minors are exposed in the app to attempted solicitation for sexual purposes, criminal activities, and access to illegal products, such as drugs, alcohol, and electronic cigarettes.
The EU considered that the United States technology company may have “insufficient” age verification measures, which neither prohibit access for minors under 13 nor properly adapt the application experience for users under 17, as established by Snapchat’s own terms and conditions.
Snapchat and the four pornographic content platforms could face fines of up to 6% of their turnover or daily penalties until they comply with the Digital Services Act.
A European verification app
In separate announcements, Brussels emphasized failures in age verification and urged the establishment of a more rigorous identification system to prevent minors from accessing the platforms.
Henna Virkkunen, the Executive Vice-President for Security and Democracy, called these security measures “weak” in a joint interview with the European Newsroom network of agencies, in which EFE participated.
To this end, the Commission proposes that Member States integrate an age verification application that the government is developing and testing on platforms like Pornhub.
The app’s pilot project is being carried out by Spain and five other countries, with the idea of being fully interoperable with future digital identity wallets, which Member States will make available to citizens and businesses before late 2026.
“The age verification application is now in the hands of the Member States for customization. There is no defined timeline, but they must be proactive about it,” said Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier at Thursday’s daily press conference.
Prohibition for minors under 16 and cyberbullying
Another issue under debate is prohibiting minors under 16 from accessing social media, a policy supported by several countries including Spain.
On Thursday, Commissioner Virkkunen confirmed that the European Union is working to adopt the approach.
In February, the European Commission presented a cyberbullying strategy that asks digital platforms to adopt effective measures to combat it and take full responsibility for the issue.
Last week, Brussels approved a ban on using AI to undress people without their consent, included in the regulatory framework on artificial intelligence, prompted by the dissemination of millions of sexualized images on Grok, owned by X.
In 2025, the Commission ruled that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, did not provide users with simple mechanisms to report illegal content such as child abuse material.
In another investigation, the Commission concluded that TikTok’s design was addictive and harmed the physical and mental well-being of its users, especially minors. EFE
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