BRUSSELS — The European Commission said Thursday that four porn platforms failed to prevent kids from accessing porn online in breach of the EU’s digital rules.

The preliminary findings on Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos say they failed to identify and assess the risks to minors as required by the Digital Services Act (DSA). Asking users to self-declare their age doesn’t work to stop kids accessing porn, the Commission said.

“Despite stating in their Terms of Services that their services are for adults only, all four platforms allow minors to access their platforms by a simple click confirming they are over 18,” it said.

The findings are some of the fastest to land under the DSA, after the investigation was launched in May 2025. The platforms now have the right to access the Commission’s evidence and offer a defense. If the Commission’s views are confirmed, the companies face fines of up to 6 percent of their total annual worldwide revenue.

Stripchat declined to comment. Pornhub, XNXX and XVideos didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The findings land as the EU is piloting an age verification wallet across six countries that could allow users to prove they are over 18 without revealing personal data.

A senior Commission official said that solution “is the best privacy-preserving age verification method” available, in part because it doesn’t track users across platforms — signaling the Commission would accept implementation of that as a way to address its concerns. The official said other solutions could also be acceptable, however.

Pornhub is already engaged in the pilot, a second official said, confirming POLITICO’s earlier reporting.

The Commission also took issue with how the four platforms assessed risks in reports they are required to file annually. They “disproportionately emphasised business-centric concerns, such as reputational damage, rather than focusing on the societal risks to minors,” it said.

The Commission has previously issued one fine under the DSA, against Elon Musk’s X. Platforms such as AliExpress have reached an agreement to fix issues that the Commission identified.