Since June 4, 2025, France has experienced an unprecedented turning point in the consumption of online pornography. This decision, taken by the giant Aylo in response to the new legislation imposing reinforced age verification, triggered a digital earthquake and rekindled a fundamental debate: is free online porn doomed to disappear?
The end of Pornhub reignites the debate
The SREN law, which came into force at the beginning of 2025, requires pornographic sites to have certified age verification, based on a principle of double anonymity: the user must prove their majority via an external platform, without the site having access to their personal data.Aylo refused to implement this system, deemed too intrusive for privacy, preferring to suspend access to its sites in France and display a message of protest, rather than expose itself to sanctions or a block imposed by the French authorities.
Immediate consequence: the country found itself without its most popular X-rated platforms. This was logically followed by an explosion in VPN downloads, which allow users to bypass the geographical restriction. But behind this standoff, the closure of these free platforms raises questions about the sustainability of an economic model based on free access, as well as the lack of verification.
There is a simple solution to protect minors
For fifteen years, online pornography has been structured around "tube" sites, modeled on YouTube. These free platforms, financed by advertising and the exploitation of user data, have become the norm, allowing massive access to adult content online. Unsurprisingly, the model has also led to two major problems:
- A growing precariousness for actors and actresses in the sector. Creators' remuneration has collapsed, and the race for clicks has favored the distribution of stolen content, with a race for trash that sometimes borders on illegality. This freemium model attracts billions of visits, but the majority of the profits go to the platforms, not to sex workers.
- Free and (virtually) unverified access to Internet users, without age control. The result: minors' access to online pornography has exploded, confronting young people with content inappropriate for their age.
Paying for porn means protecting minors
Blocking free giants opens a new window to rethink the value of adult content. It's no surprise that paid platforms like OnlyFans and MYM are on the rise: they allow for fairer and more direct remuneration for creators. And this is precisely what the pornography industry is lacking. Internet users have become accustomed to consuming X-rated content for free, while it is commonly accepted to pay for a series, a film, or any other cultural product. This model is not economically viable for content creators. More importantly, it is also dangerous for minors.
The closure of Pornhub in France reveals a systemic problem in the pornography industry. Agreeing to pay to consume pornography online recognizes the value of the work of sex workers, but above all, it protects the market by supporting more ethical practices, supporting the people directly affected, and ultimately, limiting access to these sites to those with a valid bank card. This solution would greatly limit the exposure of minors, provided everyone plays along. The history of digital technology has shown this for music, cinema, and the press: the recognition of the economic value of content is a necessary step towards a more virtuous industry.
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