Starting this month (January 2025), France has taken a step in regulating access to online adult content, implementing stringent age verification measures to protect minors.

Spearheaded by the French broadcast regulator Arcom (Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulation), the initiative follows the enactment of the SREN law, which prioritizes digital security and compliance with European standards.

The rules represent a landmark development in online content regulation, making France one of the first countries to enforce comprehensive age assurance measures for adult websites, with implications for platforms serving its 70 million internet users.

Arcom’s regulations, rooted in the SREN law enacted in May 2024, impose detailed standards for age verification systems. As of January 11, all adult content providers accessible from French IP addresses must implement measures to confirm users’ ages. A transitional period allows preliminary methods, such as bank card verification, until April 11, 2025, after which stricter standards will apply.

Key requirements include:

• Privacy and Anonymity: Platforms must adopt “double-blind” systems, ensuring neither the verification provider nor the content platform can identify the user or their activity.
• Independent Verification Providers: Age verification providers must operate independently of content platforms and refrain from storing or sharing user data.
• Robust Authentication: Verification systems must be resistant to manipulation, including risks posed by deepfakes, and free from material bias in facial recognition tools.
• Multiple Verification Options: Platforms must offer various verification methods, such as digital ID apps, facial age estimation, or reusable age tokens, giving users flexibility while maintaining privacy.

Arcom’s newfound authority under the Digital Services Act (DSA) allows it to act decisively against non-compliant sites. This includes mandating internet service providers to block access to sites without a court ruling. This power was demonstrated in October 2024 when French courts ordered the blocking of five major adult platforms for insufficient compliance with age verification measures.

Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Arcom, emphasized the importance of these measures, stating, “For too long, many online services which allow porn and other harmful material have ignored the fact that children are accessing their services. Today, this starts to change.”

Tim Henning, Executive Director of the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP), praised the initiative: “Platforms must take action to comply with these rules designed to create a safer online environment for children.”

Arcom’s new rules comply with Article 227-24 of the French Criminal Code, which prohibits exposing minors to pornographic content. The guidelines were shaped in consultation with the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) and will evolve in alignment with forthcoming European Union (EU) standards.

Under these regulations, platforms must apply age verification each time a user accesses their service. While the measures aim to safeguard minors, they have sparked debate among privacy advocates and platform operators.

Advocates for privacy, including groups like Big Brother Watch, have warned of potential issues, including the risks of data breaches and digital exclusion. Meanwhile, some platforms have expressed concern over user experience and traffic impacts. Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, highlighted that similar measures in Louisiana led to an 80% drop in site traffic as users turned to less-regulated sources.

France’s age verification framework is seen as a transitional solution, paving the way for a unified European approach. The European Commission plans to release guidelines for protecting minors online by July 2025. This will include a non-exhaustive list of best practices for platforms to mitigate risks to children. By 2027, the Commission intends to roll out a mobile app enabling users to verify their age securely and privately.