France: Implemented ARCOM technical standard on age verification for the protection of minors from online pornography

On 9 January 2025, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication’s (ARCOM) technical standard outlining the minimum technical requirements for age verification systems used by online services distributing pornographic content enters into force. The standard aims to protect minors from harmful content. It applies to online public communication services and video-sharing platforms, mandating that age verification systems reliably distinguish between minors and adults, implement robust anti-fraud measures, and comply with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation regarding personal data collection. It also provides that systems must utilise a double anonymity mechanism to protect user identities and provide at least two methods for generating age proof. The standard emphasises that audits of these systems will be required and that results have to be published to inform users about privacy protections. ARCOM can issue a compliance notice for non-compliance with standards, and persistent failure may result in a financial penalty.