The European Commission said its investigations into Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos "focus on the risks for the protection of minors, including those linked to the absence of effective age verification measures".

The commission, the European Union's tech regulator, accused the platforms of not having "appropriate" age verification tools to prevent children from being exposed to porn.

An AFP correspondent had only to click a button on Tuesday stating they were older than 18, without any further checks, to gain access to each of the four platforms.

The commission found that the four platforms did not have "appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors".

They also did not have measures in place to prevent negative effects on children as well as users' mental and physical well-being, the commission said.

"Online platforms must ensure that the rights and best interests of children are central to the design and functioning of their services," it added.

Pornhub's parent company Aylo said it was "fully committed to ensuring the safety of minors online", adding that "We will always comply with the law."

The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) forces the world's biggest tech companies to do more to protect European users online and has strict rules to safeguard children and ensure their privacy and security.

Under the law, "very large" online platforms with at least 45 million monthly active users in the EU have even greater obligations, and they are regulated by the commission rather than national authorities.

Fearful over children's access to adult content, the commission said it would work with national authorities to make sure smaller porn platforms apply the same rules.

"Our priority is to protect minors and allow them to navigate safely online. Together with the digital service coordinators in the member states we are determined to tackle any potential harm to young online users," EU digital tsar Henna Virkkunen said.

- Protecting children -

The EU also said it would remove Stripchat from the list of "very large" platforms since it now had fewer than 45 million monthly active users on average, with its probe to focus on the period when it fell under its purview.

Brussels noted that the launch of formal proceedings did not prejudge the investigation's outcome, and that there was no deadline for its completion.

Violations, if proven, risk fines of up to six percent of a firm's global turnover. Platforms found guilty of serious and repeated violations can also be banned from operating in Europe.

The EU in parallel has invited the public including parents to help prepare guidelines for the protection of children online, and it is developing an age-verification app.

The DSA, which has a wide remit, sits within the EU's powerful legal weaponry to regulate Big Tech.

Brussels has opened a wave of probes under the DSA since 2023 including into Meta's Facebook and Instagram as well as TikTok and Elon Musk's X social media platform.

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