A German high court temporarily blocked an order to block Pornhub and YouPorn, citing potential conflicts with EU law, pending further review.
A German high court on Friday temporarily prevented a state media regulator from ordering internet providers to block access to Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn in Germany. This decision is pending further action by Cypriot and European Union authorities.
The Higher Administrative Court for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia ruled that the blocking orders likely violate EU law. This ruling follows previous actions by the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia (LfM), which had ordered Telekom and Vodafone to block the Aylo sites due to non-compliance with German age verification regulations.
The LfM's orders against Pornhub and YouPorn stemmed from provisions of Germany’s Youth Media Protection Interstate Treaty (JMStV). In November of the previous year, the Administrative Court of Düsseldorf ruled that the LfM could not require blocking of the adult sites until the Higher Administrative Court for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia reached a decision on pending appeals of earlier orders against the sites. The central issue was whether the JMStV provisions, which underpin the blocking orders, conflict with overriding EU law.
Earlier in 2025, other German courts had issued rulings concerning the blocking of Aylo sites. In May 2025, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled that a network ban on Pornhub and YouPorn was justified, stating that state media regulators had the ability to enforce media regulations across all of Germany. This ruling confirmed a block on the sites after a Cyprus-based content provider reportedly failed to restrict access to adult users as required, despite state authorities’ intervention beginning in 2020. The Berlin Administrative Court's decision could be appealed to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.
In July 2025, the Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate upheld a network ban on Aylo-owned websites Pornhub and YouPorn within Germany's digital space for failure to comply with age verification rules. The court stated that the Rhineland-Palatinate Media Authority's order to block two pornographic websites based on the State Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media was immediately enforceable. The Rhineland-Palatinate Media Authority indicated that the blocking order would become obsolete if the applicant complied with the basic order.
The Higher Administrative Court for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia has now reached its decision, determining that the blocking orders likely violate EU law. Under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), websites are generally only required to comply with the laws regulating their services in their home member state. This "country of origin" principle has been a factor in other recent cases, including a fine levied by the Luxembourg media regulator against webcam platform LiveJasmin for non-compliance with Luxembourg’s Electronic Media Law, even though alleged violations involved access in other EU member states. This principle also guided rulings earlier this year in age verification cases in Italy and France.
The court noted that since February 2024, protection of minors online is uniformly regulated for the entire EU by the DSA. This means the LfM lacks jurisdiction to order blocking measures. However, a press statement from the Higher Administrative Court clarified that this ruling does not permit online platforms from other EU countries to allow minors in Germany to access adult content. Instead, the DSA provides an international legal framework for authorities to take action against violations of age verification obligations by online platforms. The statement indicated that "The member state in which the respective platform operator has its headquarters is responsible for corresponding supervisory measures."
Both Aylo sites are based in Cyprus. The European Commission classifies Pornhub as a "very large online platform" (VLOP). Under the DSA, sites and platforms that reach at least 45 million monthly active EU users are designated as VLOPs, subjecting them to more stringent regulations and fees. Consequently, YouPorn is subject to regulation by Cypriot authorities, while Pornhub is subject to regulation directly by the European Commission.
In March, the European Commission preliminarily found Pornhub, along with Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos, to be in breach of DSA provisions designed to protect minors from adult content. These cases are currently ongoing.
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Fuente: adultfyi.com
