JAKARTA - The European Union has once again increased pressure on digital platforms, this time targeting the adult content industry. Official regulators have ensnared a number of major pornographic sites, including Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, for alleged violations of digital safety rules for failing to prevent children from accessing pornographic content.
This case is the result of a 10-month investigation under the umbrella of the Digital Services Act, the European Union's flagship regulation to regulate illegal and harmful content on large platforms.
The regulator assessed that the four platforms did not implement adequate protection systems. One of the main highlights is the age verification method, which is considered too weak - just click "I am over 18", users can immediately enter. In netizen language: "click doang, langsung lolos" - and it is clearly a serious problem.
The European Union's technology commissioner, Henna Virkkunen, stressed that children are now accessing adult content at younger and younger ages. He urged platforms to implement stronger, effective age verification systems while maintaining user privacy.
If proven guilty, the companies could face fines of up to 6 percent of their total annual global revenue - a figure that could run into the hundreds of millions to billions of euros. In other words: not just a reprimand, but the potential for a "financial earthquake".
In addition, the European Commission also criticized the platform's approach, which was considered more focused on maintaining reputation than reducing social risks for children. Features such as blurring content or warnings are not considered effective enough as a protection fortress.
Not stopping there, regulators also opened an investigation into Snapchat. The platform is allegedly not strong enough in protecting young users from risks such as online predators or digital exploitation. The existing age verification system is called "loose" - even potentially allowing adults to disguise themselves as teenagers.
Snapchat said it had been transparently working with regulators and reiterated that user safety was a top priority. However, as the old saying goes: good claims must be proven in the field.
The EU's aggressive move comes amid a global wave of concerns about the impact of digital platforms on children. Previously in the United States, cases against Meta and YouTube have also sparked a major debate on addiction and adolescent mental health.
Broadly speaking, the direction of policy is becoming clear: the era of "neutral platforms" is increasingly abandoned. Regulators are now demanding active responsibility - especially when it comes to the most vulnerable groups.
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