France’s age verification law is well-intentioned. However, it is fundamentally flawed. It drives users to unregulated sites. It creates privacy risks. Additionally, it can be easily bypassed with VPNs. While the “double anonymity” approach shows innovation, the law’s real-world effectiveness remains questionable.
So here we are again. Another government, another grand plan to “protect the children” from the internet’s darker corners. This time it’s France taking center stage. They might have the world’s most sophisticated age verification system for porn sites. And honestly? It’s fascinating to watch this digital cat-and-mouse game unfold.
The French Revolution 2.0: Digital Edition
France just rolled out its SREN law. This law was passed in 2023. It requires adult content platforms to verify users are 18 or older before granting access. The deadline was June 7th. However, major players like Pornhub decided to implement a dramatic exit strategy. They started blocking French users entirely on June 4th.
Their farewell message? A patriotic twist features “Liberty Leading the People.” This is from Eugene Delacroix’s 1830 painting. It asks French users: “Your government suggests checking your age every time you visit our site – that’s crazy, right?”
Dramatic? Absolutely. Effective protest theater? You bet. But let’s dig into why this is happening and whether it’ll actually work.
Privacy Theater or Real Protection?
Here’s where things get interesting. In contrast to the ham-fisted approaches we’ve seen in US states, France actually tried to be clever about this. Texas and Florida, we’re looking at you. They developed what’s called a “double anonymity” system. In this system, the site does not know the user’s identity. Additionally, the provider of the age verification solution does not know which sites the user visits.
Think of it like this: you want to buy something embarrassing at a store. You give your money to a trusted friend. They make the purchase without telling the cashier who you are. Meanwhile, you never tell your friend what you’re actually buying. It’s privacy protection… in theory.
The French data protection authority (CNIL) spent years crafting this approach. They recognized a significant risk. “The worst example would be if you directly collected people’s name.” Additionally, if you collected the type of website they’re trying to access, it could be problematic. Then someone could establish a list of who follows certain content. This list could be used to target groups such as LGBTQ+ people.
Smart thinking, right? Well, sort of.
The Reality Check: Why Pornhub Said “Non Merci”
Despite France’s sophisticated approach, Pornhub’s parent company Aylo called the law “ineffective” and “dangerous,” noting concerns over privacy. Their main beef? Third-party verification puts private information at risk of hacks and leaks.
And they’ve got a point. Remember, France recently had “many big hacks of government websites. The last one targeted the [government] unemployment website, and it affected 43 million people.” When you’re asking people to verify their identity to access adult content, the risks increase significantly. The stakes for data breaches become particularly high.
But here’s the kicker—France is Pornhub’s second-largest market behind the U.S. Walking away from that market isn’t exactly a casual business decision. This is more like setting money on fire to make a point.
The Whack-a-Mole Problem
Let’s talk about effectiveness, shall we? Because this is where every age verification law runs into the same fundamental problem: the internet doesn’t respect borders.
French Culture Minister Aurore Bergé celebrated Pornhub’s exit. She said, “There will be less violent, degrading and humiliating content accessible to minors in France.” But will there really?
In Louisiana last year, Pornhub was among the few sites that complied with the new law. Here’s what actually happens when major sites implement age verification. Since then, our traffic in Louisiana dropped approximately 80 percent. These people did not stop looking for porn. They just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don’t ask users to verify age. These sites don’t follow the law, don’t take user safety seriously, and often don’t even moderate content.
So instead of accessing regulated, moderated content on mainstream platforms, users—including minors—end up on sketchy sites that don’t give a damn about French law or user safety. Progress?
VPNs: The Great Equalizer
And then there’s the elephant in the room: VPNs. Virtual private networks let you appear to browse from anywhere in the world. VPN usage in states like Florida saw increases of 1,150% after similar laws took effect.
Installing a VPN isn’t rocket science. A 15-year-old can figure out how to pirate movies. Trust me, they can do it. They can definitely figure out how to route their traffic through a server in Germany or the Netherlands.
As one computer scientist put it: “I think teenagers are smart enough to be able to install VPNs.” Understatement of the year, honestly.
The Innovation vs. Reality Gap
France deserves credit for trying something different. The double anonymity concept shows genuine innovation in balancing privacy with protection. The system will operate through a gateway provided by the social security system. The authorities will have no information about the websites the user attempts to visit. The target website will not receive any data from the user, only their group signature.
But innovation in a vacuum doesn’t solve real-world problems. The law still faces three fundamental challenges:
- The Bypass Problem: VPNs make geographic restrictions meaningless
- The Migration Problem: Users shift to unregulated platforms
- The Enforcement Problem: How do you regulate the entire internet?
What’s Really at Stake
This isn’t just about porn. It’s about who controls what adults can access online. We need to consider how much privacy we’re willing to sacrifice for the promise of child protection.
Digital credentials, including Louisiana’s LA Wallet, have already been stolen and misused. Every age verification system creates new attack vectors for bad actors. Every database of “adults who access adult content” becomes a potential target for blackmail, discrimination, or worse.
And let’s be honest about the broader implications. If governments can mandate identity verification for adult content, what’s next? Political content that’s deemed “harmful”? LGBTQ+ resources? The precedent matters more than the specific application.
The Real Solutions Nobody Talks About
Want to actually protect kids online? The nontechnical approach is to educate parents about the dangers of the Internet. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Parental controls, digital literacy education, and age-appropriate internet safety programs would likely do more good. Elaborate verification schemes can be bypassed by tech-savvy teens in five minutes.
But those solutions require work, funding, and admitting that technology isn’t magic. Much easier to pass a law and declare victory.
So Will It Work?
France’s porn ban will “work” in the narrowest possible sense. Some major sites will block French users. Politicians will claim success. But will it actually protect children? Will it improve online safety? Will it set a positive precedent for digital rights?
I’m skeptical. The law’s sophisticated privacy protections show good intentions, but they can’t overcome fundamental internet realities. Users will find workarounds. Unregulated sites will fill the void. And the surveillance infrastructure being built “for the children” will inevitably find other uses.
The French approach is smarter than most, but smart doesn’t always mean effective. Sometimes the best intentions lead to the worst outcomes.
What do you think? Is France’s “double anonymity” approach a genuine innovation worth emulating, or just privacy theater that misses the point entirely?
References : Age Verification Lawsuits in the U.S. | Ondato Blog. https://ondato.com/pl/bez-kategorii/age-verification-lawsuits/
Indiana and Mississippi SUED over online age verification laws. https://resist.news/2024-06-19-indiana-mississippi-sued-over-online-age-verification-laws.html
Ohio Proposes Requiring ID to Watch Online Pornography. https://www.thedailybeast.com/ohio-proposes-requiring-id-to-watch-online-pornography
Pornhub to block access in Florida due to age verification law – NBC 6 South Florida. https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/pornhub-to-block-access-in-florida-due-to-age-verification-law-starting-jan-1/3498420/