WGCZ Engages Top Law, Communications Firms in French Censorship Fight

WGCZ Engages Top Law, Communications Firms in French Censorship Fight

PARIS — WGCZ, the parent company of tube site XVideos and several other international adult companies, has reportedly hired a prestigious international law firm, as well as a powerful communications and marketing conglomerate, to lobby government regulators to limit the scope of proposed sweeping regulations on adult content.

According to a report this week by French business news site La Lettre A, the conglomerate has hired top international business law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, as well as a subsidiary of French media management giant Havas.

The high-profile move comes as the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel, a regulatory body similar to the American FCC, is due to make a decision regarding a complaint by French nonprofits purporting to advocate for “children’s welfare.”

The organizations e-Enfance (“e-Childhood”) and La Voix de l’Enfant (“The Voice of the Child”) assert that sites such as Pornhub, TuKif, XNXX, xHamster, XVideos, Redtube and YouPorn “make pornographic content accessible to minors and do not verify the age of those browsing or they merely make them check a box stating they are over 18,” as the groups' lawyer, Laurent Bayon, told newspaper Le Figaro in September, when announcing a lawsuit trying to compel ISPs to block those sites in France.

The lawsuit was rejected in October in favor of the defendants, the French ISPs Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom, Free, Colt Technologies Services and Outre mer Télécomare.

A Controversial AV Law

Back in March, WGCZ began circulating a survey gathering public opinion about privacy concerns surrounding a new age verification requirement imposed by the French parliament in 2020.

“Last summer,” the introduction to the survey began, “a law about domestic violence was amended with two articles concerning the distribution of pornography online. It imposes age verification on the users.”

The document also pointed out that fewer than 10% of representatives were present during the vote and that none of the legislators were asked about the law’s consequences or the method of age verification to be employed.

“If you ask yourself, as we do, what does pornography have to do with domestic violence, you’d be given this explanation: people can be induced to see and then reproduce ‘violent’ sexual practices seen online,” the WGCZ-sponsored statement noted.

Top Legal and Lobbying Guns

Back in April, according to public records, WGCZ also engaged the lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and U.S. lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs to lobby on unspecified matters of "online speech and communications" and "internet compliance."

That announcement was made in the wake of a media-ballyhooed lawsuit filed against XVideos and WGCZ by the religiously inspired anti-porn crusading group NCOSE, formerly known as Morality in Media.

The French media and marketing conglomerate Havas, a subsidiary of which WGCZ has reportedly engaged for its lobbying efforts in Paris, is controlled by the powerful Bolloré conglomerate. Bolloré media properties currently openly back right-wing candidates, much like a French Fox News, but the conglomerate also controls Canal+, the last large broadcaster in France which is still offering explicit adult content.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

Show More