They’ve been trying to block it for many years now.
France has been going downhill for quite some time. Many proposals for chat control and tracking… even recently, we got a law proposal that aimed at banning E2EE 😵
When it’s not about protecting kids, it’s about fighting drugs
They always have a “good” reason to remove our freedom, because apparently security seems much more important, and it seems like it’s the only way to do it. Lol.
Politicians are always trying to ban encryption in every country. I remember it happening constantly in the 90s. And it happens because politicians don’t understand that you can’t ban math
To clarify, the french didn’t ban pornhub, it’s the company behind pornhub who decided to deny it’s access in France to protest a law proposal that is currently getting examined in parliament
Ps : The law in question would require all porn sites to verify the age of its users
Because the majority of porn watchers are male at about a 4:1 ratio. They aren’t saying it was exclusively boys either, likely just what made sense from their perspective at the time.
I think this law requires you to upload a photo of your ID and says that it’s the website’s fault if underage people use it and they face a hefty fine. It’s a lot more than the standard “click to pinky promise that you’re definitely 18” because PornHub already has that.
Age verification in a porn database is odd to me, from a privacy point of view AND a massive undertaking for the porn company. And then there’s the puritan culture of wanting to block teenagers from watching porn? Seems a very anti-French thing to me, but I’m also pretty ignorant of actual French culture. I assumed French culture would be like, once you have the urges, you’ll go seeking, and if you need to look at the internet in the safety of your own bedroom, is better than unexpected pregnancies to satisfy urges.
What’s the deal with all of this, anyway? What are the arguments here?
I’m not aware of the exact motivations of all the actors. What follows are my guesses.
My guess would be that
Some député want to protect children from the most dangerous types of porn (which I can hear on some level, porn can be addictive for some people and can lead to negative behaviour, children are always more sensitive).
Some probably think that all porn is bad and want to prevent anyone from consuming it, this would only be a first step for those.
Some definitely want to be able to spy on everyone and use this as an excuse to further reduce privacy and freedom
You might not be aware depending where you are from, but France is on a slippery slope towards Fascism, the far right is gaining more power every day, a lot of people think it is very plausible that a far right president is elected on the next election (2027), along with a parliament’s majority.
Germany had this since forever, it’s just how offline laws translate to the internet: There’s a difference between a) ordinary nudity, b) eroticism and c) straight-up porn. The latter was always 18+, in video rental stores etc. they would have a separate section and if you didn’t look of age you’d get ID’d.
You can’t order alcohol online in Germany without a proper age check, and the same applies to porn. For paid offerings that’s no issue, payment providers offer age checks (your bank knows how old you are and them vouching suffices), for free sites it’s a no-go, noone is going to go through the hassle. Especially as you can escape off the German-language internet onto the international one and merely click through an “are you 18” banner.
Notably, pornhub isn’t blocked in Germany – neither from the German side, nor from pornhub’s. Very occasionally DNS bans are ordered when a site without age checks tries to specifically target the German market. Mostly though it’s down to German google not serving up those international porn sites which in the end is good enough for the youth protection authorities because the point is not to make access impossible, it’s to make sure that youth not ready for content doesn’t stumble across it. And once you’re actively seeking, you’re ready, the hoops you have to jump through are proof of the “active” part. YMMV on “not ready for porn with 18”, back in the days there was still softcore. On free TV. Probably won’t hurt kids to not start out with gonzo.
The percentages of respondents in surveys on infidelity answering “not a moral issue” from France are a bit of a cultural difference (from Australian perspective, anyway)
I have to admit, of all the nations on earth, I never expected this sort of puritanical theatrical authoritarianism out of the french.
They’ve been trying to block it for many years now.
France has been going downhill for quite some time. Many proposals for chat control and tracking… even recently, we got a law proposal that aimed at banning E2EE 😵
Damn, the whole world really is going authoritarian.
When it’s not about protecting kids, it’s about fighting drugs
They always have a “good” reason to remove our freedom, because apparently security seems much more important, and it seems like it’s the only way to do it. Lol.
Authoritarians have embraced internet culture somehow.
I’m curious how they got Gen Z so curtailed.
Politicians are always trying to ban encryption in every country. I remember it happening constantly in the 90s. And it happens because politicians don’t understand that you can’t ban math
Wait 'til they do it. You’re underestimating them.
They should actually take to the streets (again). Not joking. What is this nanny-state BS?
To clarify, the french didn’t ban pornhub, it’s the company behind pornhub who decided to deny it’s access in France to protest a law proposal that is currently getting examined in parliament
Ps : The law in question would require all porn sites to verify the age of its users
This is how young boys learn to computer. It won’t do shit to stop anything. It’s a waste of time.
Well – this might be more succesful in boostering the IT skills of France’s next generation than any curriculum reform.
How do you know it’s just boys? Seems an odd assumption, considering the nature of omission of information with this.
Because the majority of porn watchers are male at about a 4:1 ratio. They aren’t saying it was exclusively boys either, likely just what made sense from their perspective at the time.
Isn’t that already the case on a lot of the internet?
I think this law requires you to upload a photo of your ID and says that it’s the website’s fault if underage people use it and they face a hefty fine. It’s a lot more than the standard “click to pinky promise that you’re definitely 18” because PornHub already has that.
Democracy and general Egalitarianism is so 2008. Authoritarianism is what’s hot now.
I can’t wait for a severe overcorrection
Bold of you to assume it ever was!
I know right? Aren’t there nude beaches in the south of France where people will fuck in broad daylight with others watching?
French citizens please confirm (for uh, science, and not vacation planning)!
Yes, there are. But you misunderstood the news: France didn’t block pornhub, pornhub blocked France as a protest against a new law.
Age verification in a porn database is odd to me, from a privacy point of view AND a massive undertaking for the porn company. And then there’s the puritan culture of wanting to block teenagers from watching porn? Seems a very anti-French thing to me, but I’m also pretty ignorant of actual French culture. I assumed French culture would be like, once you have the urges, you’ll go seeking, and if you need to look at the internet in the safety of your own bedroom, is better than unexpected pregnancies to satisfy urges.
What’s the deal with all of this, anyway? What are the arguments here?
I’m not aware of the exact motivations of all the actors. What follows are my guesses.
My guess would be that
You might not be aware depending where you are from, but France is on a slippery slope towards Fascism, the far right is gaining more power every day, a lot of people think it is very plausible that a far right president is elected on the next election (2027), along with a parliament’s majority.
“Protect delicate children’s eyes from seeing nudity”
I think that’s about it
Germany had this since forever, it’s just how offline laws translate to the internet: There’s a difference between a) ordinary nudity, b) eroticism and c) straight-up porn. The latter was always 18+, in video rental stores etc. they would have a separate section and if you didn’t look of age you’d get ID’d.
You can’t order alcohol online in Germany without a proper age check, and the same applies to porn. For paid offerings that’s no issue, payment providers offer age checks (your bank knows how old you are and them vouching suffices), for free sites it’s a no-go, noone is going to go through the hassle. Especially as you can escape off the German-language internet onto the international one and merely click through an “are you 18” banner.
Notably, pornhub isn’t blocked in Germany – neither from the German side, nor from pornhub’s. Very occasionally DNS bans are ordered when a site without age checks tries to specifically target the German market. Mostly though it’s down to German google not serving up those international porn sites which in the end is good enough for the youth protection authorities because the point is not to make access impossible, it’s to make sure that youth not ready for content doesn’t stumble across it. And once you’re actively seeking, you’re ready, the hoops you have to jump through are proof of the “active” part. YMMV on “not ready for porn with 18”, back in the days there was still softcore. On free TV. Probably won’t hurt kids to not start out with gonzo.
Passings laws we don’t like?
NO PORN FOR YOU!!!
Isn’t protest coooooo you guys?
The percentages of respondents in surveys on infidelity answering “not a moral issue” from France are a bit of a cultural difference (from Australian perspective, anyway)