DIGITAL LIFE

After PornHub is blocked in France, the search for virtual private networks (VPNs) “explodes” 1,000% in 30 minutes

The blocking of access to PornHub and sites that are part of the same network, such as YouPorn and RedTube, in France has caused a surge in subscriptions to virtual private network (VPN) services. Along with ProtonVPN, NordVPN has also seen a 170% increase in the use of its service.

This week, Aylo, owner of PornHub and other porn sites, suspended access to its platforms in France. The decision comes in response to a new French law that requires porn sites to implement “tighter” age verification measures.

In the case of ProtonVPN, the number of new subscriptions “exploded” shortly after the suspension of access. In a post on the social network X, the platform indicates that, in just 30 minutes, there was a 1,000% increase in registrations on its VPN.

According to ProtonVPN, the increase is even more significant than the one recorded when TikTok was initially blocked in the United States.

According to PornHub statistics, by 2024, France was the site's second-largest market, ahead of the United States.

Speaking to POLITICO, a spokesperson for NordVPN, another virtual private network service, says the company has seen a 170% increase in usage since the start of the blockade in France. "We see similar spikes when digital freedoms are threatened or when content is censored," the spokesperson says.

According to data compiled by the Top10VPN platform, global demand for VPNs increased by 334% on June 4, compared to the average of the last 28 days. France introduced the new law in 2024, and this year the requirements of the legislation began to be gradually introduced, including users confirming their age through documentation such as an ID card or bank card, reports the website France24. In a statement, the owner of PornHub says that "French citizens deserve a government and a regulator that takes seriously the prevention of minors' access to adult content", as well as "laws that protect their privacy and sensitive data". 

The company says that for years it has tried to collaborate with the government, however, "the results have been clear: site-based age verification does not work". "It does not protect children and exposes the data of millions of French people to leaks and cyberattacks", it argues. According to Aylo, the solution to the problem already exists and involves device-based age verification. In this case, the government would have to require Apple, Google and Microsoft, that is, the manufacturers of the operating systems, to verify the age of users on their own devices before allowing access to adult content.

"The French government refuses to take this step and continues to insist on futile and merely symbolic regulatory measures, which are impossible to enforce, do not protect children and put their personal data at risk", the company emphasizes.

It is worth remembering that the European Commission has opened new investigations into Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos, four of the largest online pornography platforms, on suspicion of violating the Digital Services Regulation (DSA).

According to the community executive, the investigations into the four major platforms focus on what is being done to prevent young people from accessing harmful content.

In a recent interview, Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, revealed that the European Commission will launch in July a new application for age verification on digital platforms, such as social networks, to protect minors and prevent them from accessing inappropriate content on the Internet.

mundophone