The adult site is contesting some of its requirements under the Digital Services Act
One of the world's most popular pornography websites, Pornhub, is contesting new EU rules.
Pornhub is facing new obligations under the Digital Services Act, including strict requirements on age verification.
The new rules apply to what the EU designates a Very large Online Platform - which Pornhub says it is not.
The challenge was filed to the EU's General Court in Luxembourg on March 1 for Pornhub by its owner, the Canada-based Aylo.
To be designated a VLOP, a site needs to be visited by more than 45 million Europeans on average every month - a threshold the EU says Pornhub meets.
Aylo says as of January 31, 2024, Pornhub had 32 million monthly active users - so it is filing an application to have its VLOP status annulled.
The DSA aims to give people in the EU greater protections online, with VLOPs facing what the European Commission calls more "Diligent content moderation."
Among its measures are new responsibilities to take down illegal content, such as non-consensual videos.
Breaching the new law can lead to fines of up to 6% of a company's global turnover.
From Thursday, six big firms - designated "Gatekeepers" by the EU - face new responsibilities under the Digitial Markets Act.