Last October, nearly thirty NGOs, including the European escort lobby, sent a letter to the European Commission, demanding crackdowns on porn sites to stop the spread of dangerous content, especially aimed at minors. The request was accepted: Brussels announced that the three major portals of the industry (Pornhub, Stripchat and according to its English abbreviation) will be opened. Among other things, these websites will no longer be able to promote advertising campaigns aimed at minors and will have to implement measures to prevent their channels from being used for pedophilia-related activities, revenge porn and pornography deepfake. Heavy fines of up to 6% of global turnover.
Battle of the escorts
Since the entry into force of the DSA, the law by which the EU seeks to combat a range of phenomena and crimes on the internet, such as disinformation, online hate and indeed child pornography, the Commission has identified 19 platforms and search engines. These include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). Vlops represents the circle of online giants with more than 45 million users, which are subject to the strictest regulations in combating dangerous content. But until now, porn sites have been excluded from this circle.
This shortcoming was condemned by a coalition of NGOs, including the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance, which brings together sex workers from across the EU. According to them, online porn giants will “actively seek to evade their responsibilities and avoid being held accountable for systemic risks such as the dissemination or publication of sexually abusive images that exist on their platforms.” deepfakefalsely declaring a user count below the 45 million threshold that triggers the strictest rules.
Control of porn giants
In response to the requests, Brussels launched an investigation, which resulted in Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideo being included in VLOPS. There will be little time for these sites to adapt to the new rules: the deadline set by the Commission is 17 February 2024. General provisions they will have to comply with will include “providing easy-to-use mechanisms”. Allow users or organizations to report illegal content and prioritize processing of reports sent by so-called “trusted reporters”, Brussels writes
Additionally, they must “immediately notify law enforcement if they become aware of information that raises suspicion that a crime involving a threat to a person’s life or safety has been committed, has occurred, or may occur, even if it is sexual abuse.” of the little ones”.
Stop ads aimed at minors
If necessary, Pornhub, Stripchat and In this context, “advertisements that rely on profiling of sensitive data (such as ethnicity, political views or sexual orientation) or that target minors” will be banned.
As Vlops, these sites will have additional measures to implement (within the next four months). These include “mitigating measures to address the risks associated with the online dissemination of illegal content, such as child pornography material, and content that violates fundamental rights, such as human dignity and the right to privacy, without consent.” sharing of intimate material content online (this revenge porned.) or pornography deepfake“. Another important aspect of the law is that Vlops “will be required to grant access to publicly available data to researchers, including researchers selected and appointed by digital service coordinators”, explains Brussels.
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Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.