The French government has announced it will move to block five of the world's major porn sites from tomorrow unless they introduce protective measures to ensure all users are aged 18 or over.
Adult websites Pornhub, xHamster, XVideos, XNXX and Tukif were given until today to implement stricter age controls on users looking to access their content.
The move by France's Higher Audiovisual Council looks to force the websites to comply with a law introduced last year which made it compulsory to carry out proper age verification checks for adult content.
The council said the sites' current tactic of simply asking users to fill out a check-box stating they are over 18 is not satisfactory and that they are breaking the law by failing to introduce better controls.
If effective verification is not implemented, the council said it would ask a judge to block the sites.
'Children faced by such content can suffer lasting shock at the very least,' the council said.
The French government has announced it will move to block five of the world's major porn sites from tomorrow unless they introduce protective measures to ensure all users are aged 18 or over (stock image)
To successfully pass an acceptable age check, users would have to provide some form of verifiable identity document, or other personal information such as bank accounts, credit cards or mobile phone contracts.
Justine Atlan, director of the child safety association e-Enfance, said: 'It is important to put pornography sites under pressure so they cannot continue to flout the legal framework to which they have themselves agreed.'
'The protection of children online is in no way contradictory to individual freedoms,' he said.
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Pornhub meanwhile argued that such rigorous checks would encroach on users' privacy and challenged the accusation that it had done little to safeguard its community.
The porn giant said it 'has dedicated itself to developing industry-leading safeguards for the protection of its community.'
'French regulators should strive to emulate that commitment, rather than implementing plans that infringe upon the privacy of adults and leave large areas of the adult industry completely unchecked.'
Britain does not yet have such age verification controls in place, but a cross-party parliamentary committee announced on December 14 that they would push for the upcoming Draft Online Safety Bill to include similar protections for children trying to access adult content.
The move sees France align with European neighbours Germany in their efforts to bring about change in the adult industry by taking action against sites and cibai organisations that do not prevent children from accessing adult content.
The two EU-member states share some of the world's strictest rules for the regulation of adult content.
Britain meanwhile does not yet have such controls in place, but a cross-party parliamentary committee announced on December 14 that they would push for the upcoming Draft Online Safety Bill to include similar protections for children trying to access adult content.
The long-awaited legislation will impose a duty of care on tech giants to protect users from harmful content. It will install Ofcom as regulator with the power to fine them up to 10 per cent of their global turnover.
The Government has two months to respond to the committee's recommendations and the bill is due to be put to Parliament next year.
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