The European Union’s top court has ruled that France can enforce age-verification requirements on pornographic websites established in other EU member states, supporting efforts to protect minors from accessing adult content online.
The Court of Justice of the European Union said on Tuesday that while such measures restrict the free movement of online services within the bloc, they can be justified on public policy grounds, including the protection of children.
The ruling comes as governments across Europe and beyond tighten rules on online access for minors. The EU is also developing a voluntary age-verification application, while several countries are considering stricter controls similar to Australia’s approach to teen internet use. Britain, for example, announced plans on Monday to ban under-16s from major social media platforms from next year.
Court clarifies limits of EU digital rules
The court also addressed how liability rules apply to pornographic platforms, stating that operators cannot rely on hosting exemptions for content they store or distribute if they exercise control over it.
It further said that national measures like France’s can apply to companies based in other EU countries, provided that the home country is first asked to act and is notified, along with the European Commission, except in urgent cases.
The decision followed a challenge by Czech companies WebGroup Czech Republic and NKL Associates, which had contested French rules requiring pornographic publishers to block minors from accessing their sites.
At the same time, the court reaffirmed the EU’s “country of origin” principle, under which online services are generally regulated by the member state where they are established.
