Arcom Sets a Six-Month Deadline for Porn Sites to Implement Strict Age Verification Rules. A technical guide outlines the minimum requirements for security and privacy protection, with penalties for non-compliance.
Enhanced Regulation of Access to Pornographic Websites
The Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) has rolled out a technical standard that stipulates new rules to verify the age of visitors to pornographic sites. These measures are designed to block minors from accessing such content by requiring website publishers to implement more reliable control systems. From October 11, 2024, publishers will have six months to comply with these regulations. The first three months will serve as a transitional phase where credit card verification may be used, provided it is coupled with two-factor authentication.
Arcom’s Standards: Stringent Requirements
The Arcom’s document demands that sites meet two major requirements: the reliability of verification systems and the protection of user data. To ensure reliability, the proposed solutions must prevent any tampering with proof of age, including the use of deepfakes or other fabrications. Additionally, these systems must be managed by independent providers, a crucial point for safeguarding user privacy. Sites must also implement a “double anonymity” solution, ensuring that neither the site publisher nor the provider know both the identity of the user and the sites they visit.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
If sites fail to adhere to these new rules, they could face severe financial penalties, up to 4% of their global turnover. Arcom could also demand the blocking of these sites without judicial oversight, although this process may be more complicated if the site is hosted in another European country. The goal is to enhance the safety of minors while adhering to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which includes not collecting sensitive personal data.
Towards European Harmonization?
Arcom is calling for harmonized European regulation to ensure a minimal age control across the EU. The European Commission is already working on guidelines to protect minors, and Arcom hopes that these measures will be integrated into the framework of European digital services. This could involve more comprehensive solutions, such as age assessment directly through operating systems, to ensure that minors cannot access inappropriate content online.
What do you think about all this? We are not going to ask if you are troubled by such measures, that would be odd, but rather if you find these measures useful, necessary, or unnecessary?