Four pornographic sites began to be blocked on Friday in France by internet service providers who received court orders, SFR, Bouygues, Orange and Free confirmed to AFP.
The four sites in question – Xhamster, Tukif, Mrsexe and Iciporno – were targeted by a decision by the Paris Court of Appeal rendered in mid-October.
In this case, French justice was contacted by two child protection associations regarding insufficient or non-existent control of the age of users.
Ruling on the subject of several pornographic sites, it decided to block only those hosted outside the European Union.
In its decision, the court of appeal considered “the best interests of the child” as a “primary consideration”, justifying infringing on “other rights such as freedom of expression”.
The blocking of sites ordered by the Paris Court of Appeal should continue “until the implementation by the latter of a control other than purely declarative of the fact that the users are of legal age is demonstrated”, had specified the jurisdiction.
With regard to sites hosted within the European Union, French justice will await a response from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) before rendering its decision.
According to the French audiovisual regulator, 2.3 million minors visit pornographic sites every month. From the age of 12, more than half of boys using the Internet visit these sites on average every month.
France
