French court won’t block Pornhub in France — for now
PARIS — Pornhub has lived to see another day in France.
A French court on Friday postponed its final decision on whether to block the porn site until the country’s highest administrative court issues its own ruling on a decree laying out the procedure for blocking such sites, according to a decision seen by l’Informé. The postponement kicks Pornhub’s ultimate fate down the road, and it may yet still end up blocked in France.
The case pits the porn industry giant and other websites including Tukif and Xvideos against audiovisual and platforms regulator Arcom over age verification; it started in 2021.
For almost three years, Paris and the porn industry have squabbled over how to verify porn viewers’ ages. In 2020, France was one of the first countries to force adult websites to block online access to minors — with limited success. Porn companies including Pornhub have defended themselves before French courts, arguing the text cannot be implemented technically and puts privacy at risk.
To avoid lengthy judicial processes, the government is now seeking to empower Arcom to act more swiftly.
On Wednesday, French senators backed a bill that would allow Arcom to force internet service providers, search engines and app stores to block adult websites that don’t ensure users are over 18 without the need for a judge’s approval. The text will go through the National Assembly in the fall before it becomes law.
“With the digital bill, Arcom will be able to order, in just a few weeks, the blocking of sites that don’t respect the law,” digital minister Jean-Noël Barrot tweeted following today’s decision.
