Arcom takes note of Aylo Group's decision

The law of May 21, 2024 aimed at securing and regulating the digital space (SREN law), has given Arcom the power to impose legal sanctions and blocking on pornographic sites made accessible to persons under 18, an infringement of the French penal code.

Within this framework, the regulation authority has already taken action against six sites, located in France or outside the European Union, which were not complying with their obligations. Five of these sites have chosen to implement an age verification solution. The last, having failed to make its provider's identity and address available, in breach of the law, was blocked and delisted from the main search engines.

A decree has been issued to supplement Arcom's powers, making provision for the regulator to intervene, in the event of non-compliance with the law, on sites established in the European Union from June 7, 2025.

The Aylo group has chosen to evade the imperative of protecting minors by suspending access to its content in France, including for people over 18, even though there are numerous technical solutions on the market enabling users' ages to be verified while ensuring the protection of their personal data.

Arcom takes note of this decision and points out that every month, Pornhub, the most popular site of the Aylo group, is visited by more than a third of teenagers aged 12 to 17.

Arcom would like to reiterate its determination, shared by the European institutions, to protect persons under 18 online.