VPN signups increase in France following Pornhub blocking
(MENAFN) The use of VPN services in France has surged following the blocking of Pornhub and several other adult sites. The move comes just days before new regulations requiring platforms to implement age verification measures to keep minors from accessing sexually explicit content.
Aylo Freesites — the company that owns Pornhub, Redtube, and YouPorn — cut off French access on Wednesday and redirected users to a page protesting the policy. The message explained the company’s view that the new rules undermine online privacy while failing to effectively keep children away from adult content.
ProtonVPN reported a dramatic 1,000% rise in sign-up requests within just 30 minutes of the block, noting on X that the surge exceeded the increase it saw when TikTok was under threat of a ban in the US. NordVPN also confirmed a 170% jump in usage, with a spokesperson stating this kind of spike typically occurs when digital freedoms are at risk or online content is censored.
According to Top10VPN, overall VPN demand in France jumped by 334% on June 4, against the average from the previous 28 days.
The deadline for adult sites to implement age checks under a 2023 French law was set for June 7. Failure to comply could result in heavy penalties or a complete block of the site in France.
The French policy advocates for the use of third-party software to verify age without collecting personal data. However, Aylo has raised doubts about the reliability and privacy of these solutions. Solomon Friedman, vice president of Aylo’s owner, Ethical Capital Partners, called for device-level age controls instead, arguing companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft already have the technology to implement this directly.
Pornhub ranks France as its second-largest market after the US, according to Aylo’s data.
French authorities have insisted the policy is meant to protect children from harmful content. Aurore Berge, the Minister Delegate, described the companies’ departure as “for the better” and said blocking these platforms would help reduce children’s exposure to “violent, degrading, and humiliating” material.
Some European governments, including Spain and Greece, are now asking the EU to apply similar age controls across all platforms — from social media sites like Facebook and X to adult content providers — to help keep children from accessing inappropriate material.
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