French people can visit porn sites Youporn, Pornhub, and Redtube again after the owner temporarily blocked access. They were protesting against age verification rules using credit cards or identity documents.
Earlier this month, parent company Aylo ensured that French people could no longer view erotic videos in protest against a new age verification system. Visitors to the porn sites were shown a warning about the new rules.
But a judge has since suspended its implementation. The new rules required users of the sites to confirm that they were old enough using credit cards or identity documents.
Aylo called the system too cumbersome. The company warned that personal data could fall into the hands of hackers and malicious actors.
An involved publisher went to court. The judge decided to suspend the government decision of March. According to the judge, there is “serious doubt” as to whether the decision is legally possible in light of the European directive that guarantees the free movement of information services.
The French government has already announced that it will appeal. With the stricter age controls, the government wants to protect minors against images that can be violent and degrading. The European Commission is investigating access for minors to four major porn sites.