Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube to block their sites in France starting Wednesday
9/1/2025 11:53pm
Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube have blocked their sites in France starting Wednesday, in protest of the French law requiring pornographic sites to verify the age of their users. Here are the key points regarding this development:
1. **Legal Requirement**: France's law mandates that pornographic sites implement stricter age-verification technology. This has led to conflicts with major pornographic companies like Aylo, which owns Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube.
2. **Aylo's Position**: Aylo has argued that age verification should occur at the device level, involving companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, rather than being the responsibility of the pornographic sites themselves. The company believes this would better protect user privacy.
3. **Consequences for Aylo**: The age verification requirement has been a significant challenge for Aylo, as it threatens the company's business model, which relies heavily on free, unrestricted access to pornographic content and advertising revenue.
4. **Market Impact**: France was Pornhub's second-largest market, behind only the United States. The blocking of its sites in France is a notable loss for the company and the pornographic industry.
5. **Regulatory Pressure**: This move comes amid broader regulatory pressure on pornographic companies across Europe, including an investigation by the European Commission into whether major sites are complying with regulations to protect minors.
In summary, the blocking of Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube in France is a strategic move by Aylo to protest against the age-verification requirements, protect user privacy, and navigate the challenges posed by changing regulatory environments.