France’s media regulator Arcom plans to widen its enforcement of the country’s SREN age verification law beyond the largest pornographic platforms, targeting smaller adult sites beginning in late 2025 or early 2026, according to regulator president Martin Ajdari.

Speaking at the public forum “Minors Online: What Risks, What Protections?” Ajdari said the agency would “methodically apply the same procedure” to these lesser-trafficked sites as it did with its initial targets: Pornhub, YouPorn, XVideos, XNXX, xHamster, xHamsterLive, and TNAFlix.

Since enforcement began, one site has been blocked, others, such as Pornhub and YouPorn, shut down operations in France, and the rest brought their services into compliance.

“In just a few months, we have changed the situation, without, of course, claiming to have solved everything,” Ajdari said. “The protection of minors online is already a concrete reality, even if it is still far from complete.”

• Ajdari confirmed that by early 2026, Arcom will:
• Begin compliance investigations of adult sites with smaller audiences.
• Issue formal notices to non-compliant platforms.

Seek blocking or delisting orders for sites that refuse to implement age verification.

The regulator will also publish a transparency tool by summer 2026, tracking compliance among major online platforms.

Arcom has faced “numerous legal proceedings” since launching its crackdown. Cyprus-based Hammy Media, operator of xHamster, argued French law could not be applied to EU-based sites. While the Paris Administrative Court initially suspended enforcement, the Council of State dismissed the challenge.

More recently, in a case brought by Czech-based WebGroup (XVideos) and NKL Associates (XNXX), an EU Advocate General advised that France may require age checks from EU-based sites if approved by the European Commission — guidance often followed by the Court of Justice.

Ajdari emphasized Arcom’s role was “not to intervene on content itself but to ensure that platforms established in France respect their obligations.” He pointed to survey data showing 43% of French internet users aged 12–17 visit porn sites at least once a month, warning of “very serious consequences for their mental development.”

The regulator’s approach, he said, is designed to balance freedom of expression with child protection. “Freedom, as precious as it may be, cannot be exercised at the expense of safety, especially that of the youngest,” Ajdari said.