French justice must decide on July 7 on the blocking of pornographic sites which do not control the age of Internet users.
The group threatens to slam the door. The global giant of the pornographic sites sector, Mindgeek, does not rule out making its video platforms inaccessible in France, said lawyer Solomon Friedman, specialist in regulatory issues and partner of the Canadian fund Ethical Capital Partners (ECP), who recently got his hands on Mindgeek, which notably owns YouPorn and PornHub.
French justice must decide on July 7 on the blocking of pornographic sites which do not control the age of Internet users, in application of a law of 2020 which imposes on it a real verification of the age of visitors, and no longer a simple declaration of majority. “In all jurisdictions where we operate, we follow the law”assures lawyer Solomon Friedman to AFP.
Towards a meeting with the minister?
In the United States, where some states have established restrictions, Mindgeek has so far taken various positions. In Louisiana, it has complied with the legal requirement to implement age verification that uses the digital identity provided by the administration. But, in Utah, it preferred to shut down rather than have to process personal information directly.
“As a result, the use of VPNs [des logiciels pour changer l’origine de sa connexion] exploded”reports Solomon Friedman, who does not wish for the time being “speculate” on what his decision will be in France. To protect minors, the only solution “effective”according to him, is an identity verification directly on smartphones, “which could be implemented tomorrow” if industry, phone makers and regulators agree.
He also says he is ready to meet the French Minister Delegate for Digital, Jean-Noël Barrot, who issued an invitation in March and has since proposed a bill to strengthen the blocking powers of the digital regulator.