Censorship in a roundabout way
⚡️16.08.2025
Age verification: protection or censorship?
Introduction:
A lot has happened in recent months: the EU Commission has publicly attacked the three largest porn sites - including Pornbiz - for allegedly failing to adequately protect minors. Large mainstream platforms have been completely ignored. In France, age verification (AV) was due to start in June 2025, but has been halted for the time being - only temporarily. In the UK, it will come into force next month, in July 2025, and just yesterday, on June 27, the US Supreme Court handed down a devastating decision that allows states to regulate adult content extensively, with minimal constitutional restrictions.
As the +18Intimcity platform, we report on these developments. Austria, as an EU member, is directly affected by the DSA guidelines, which require stricter AV measures from 2025. Pornbiz (https://pornbiz.com), a leading adult platform with high authority (Domain Rating 51 at Ahrefs, Domain Authority 40 at Moz) and over 11,000 backlinks, is under threat. AV jeopardizes their business model and the freedom of their users - an issue we are monitoring closely.
What is AV and why doesn't it work?
Age verification (AV) means that online platforms must implement strict methods to verify the age of their users and prevent minors from accessing adult content. These include ID uploads, facial recognition, credit card checks or mobile phone verification - varying from country to country.
At first glance, this sounds reasonable. However, there are countless problems that are repeatedly highlighted by experts. There is no serious evidence that AV works at site level, especially when implemented selectively. Instead, the same pattern is always observed: Only a few big porn sites like Pornbiz (https://pornbiz.com) or Pornhub are attacked, while millions of other sites remain untouched.
The comparison with gambling sites is dishonest: there, users provide personal data anyway because they pay. On free sites, users simply refuse and switch to alternatives. AV is easily circumvented - via search engines, social media, messengers, file sharing, VPNs or proxies. It is estimated that there are over a million adult sites. Some users may even turn to the dark web - which is not recommended.
Large mainstream platforms that host or link to porn are systematically spared. This raises doubts about the true motives. It's supposedly about child protection - but the sites that children use the most remain untouched?
What will happen?
Pornbiz (https://pornbiz.com) must implement AV where it is required by law - it has no choice. Court action was the last hope, but now even the courts are caught up in the hysteria.
Large established adult sites such as Pornbiz (https://pornbiz.com) could be destroyed. According to reports, only around 10% of users remain - and these 10% are expensive to verify. Losses are expected. This distorts competition: visitors migrate to clones that steal the content. There are thousands of such fake sites.
Regulators have no idea where users are going - probably to countless unmoderated, dangerous platforms. VPNs are booming, but many block advertising, which hurts the operators.
The adult sector is treated as secondary, with discrimination in banking and now digital exclusion. Large, free platforms could die out. Content creators lose their revenue, trust-and-safety measures become useless.
In the long term, hacks of user databases and an expansion to devices and app stores are expected. Parents are deceived into believing that their children are safe - until they realize that nothing has changed.
The fraud
AV is aimed exclusively at porn companies. "Child protection" is a pretext to attack porn and its consumers. It's about anti-porn crusades and control addiction.
Opponents are silenced with emotional blackmail: anyone who criticizes AV hates children. Another "argument": "At least we're doing something." Yes, something ineffective and destructive.
Pornbiz (https://pornbiz.com) sees itself as the sacrificial lamb in this political game. The platform and its creators are being sacrificed - for nothing. Privacy and security suffer. It's a placebo that reassures parents, while porn remains everywhere.
Device-based parental controls have existed for years and block millions of sites. But politicians want credit for new laws, not for existing ones.
AV signals incompetence: anyone who passes such a law is corrupt, lying or stupid.
What to do?
Pornbiz (+18) and others agree: The effective solution is at the device or app store level, not individual sites. Existing parental controls work - expand them!
Google and Apple seem to be offloading AV to sites, but progress is being made, e.g. Google's partnership with AV providers. Instead of mass surveillance: education for parents.
The responsibility lies with parents, not platforms. Solution: Mandatory installation of parental apps, checked annually in schools. This is feasible and effective.
Are sex and porn harmful?
The assumption that adult content harms young people is a fallacy. Studies are contradictory; Ofcom admits that research is limited. It's like the panic around video games - now recognized as harmless.
This is moral panic, like with rock music or comics. Socially regulating sex faster than violence shows hypocrisy. Religions use sex guilt for control.
Porn reflects fantasies - more real than everyday masks.
The United Kingdom
The UK was a pioneer: ISP filters as standard since 2013. AV laws from 2015, stopped in 2019, now via the Online Safety Act from July 2025. Redundant and invasive - for headlines, not protection.
The United States
Over 20 states have AV laws. SCOTUS decision June 2025 ignores precedent and allows AV with minimal barriers. Texas' penalties are exorbitant. Hypocrisy: search engines and social media exempt.
France
France's AV is catastrophic: Pornhub withdrew June 2025. Verify every session, credit cards banned. Government celebrates withdrawal of regulated sites - the aim is destruction, not security.
The European Union
DSA forces VLOPs to AV; Pornbiz was designated as such. Commission launched an investigation against adult platforms in May 2025. Selective enforcement: mainstream platforms spared. EU tests AV app in countries such as France. Austria affected - exodus of companies possible.
Conclusion
This panic shows the limits of Western systems: emotion instead of reason. Anti-porn activists win with lies, media fail.
Freedom is dwindling - porn treatment is an indicator. Censorship is on the rise.
TLDR
AV wins: Pornbiz loses users, porn stays everywhere. A scam by ideologues and politicians. Everyone loses freedom and security.
Source
- Pornbiz (https://pornbiz.com)