Local German Anti-Porn Crusader Plans to Expand Surveillance Tool to All of Europe

Local German Anti-Porn Crusader Plans to Expand Surveillance Tool to All of Europe

DÜSSELDORF, Germany — The local official behind the crusade for Germany to require age verification for viewing sexual content is now seeking to expand to all of Europe the use of his new AI tool, KIVI, which automatically scans all online content to determine which images are not compliant with the law.

Last month, as XBIZ reported, Tobias Schmid, director of the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia, and one-man War on Porn, held a press conference boasting of the surveillance. He explained that he coined the name KIVI after “KI” — the German initials for AI — and “VI” from the Latin word “vigilare,” meaning “to survey.”

Today, German tech news site NetzPolitik.org reported that Schmid’s regulatory bureaucracy is currently “working with KIVI throughout Germany and hopes that the whole of Europe will soon be using this tool to monitor the public internet.”

NetzPolitik reporter Sebastian Meineck, who has been covering Schmid’s meticulous, obsessive attempts to ban all sexual content from open platforms in Germany and Europe, wrote that Schmid told a newspaper, “We are pleased that our European colleagues are also very interested.”

Schmid’s agency “networks with regulatory authorities in other EU countries in a group called ERGA (European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services).”

A spokeswoman for the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia confirmed to NetzPolitik that “there were exploratory talks with several authorities” about expanding KIVI surveillance all across Europe.

First Düsseldorf, Then the Continent

KIVI was developed by Berlin-based Condat under local bureaucrat Schmid’s supervision and is now reportedly being used by all 14 state media authorities in Germany. While KIVI has been trained to detect categories like “extremism, hate speech, swastikas or the glorification of drugs,” Schmid also included “pornography” as a target for the new surveillance engine.

Schmid is particularly obsessed with “pornography” and has repeatedly singled out “gangbangs” as a concept that bothers him.

KIVI is currently surveying images, texts and videos on all websites, as well as apps like “Telegram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, the Russian Facebook competitor VKontakte and the video portal Bitchute,” NetzPolitik reported.

According to NetzPolitik’s Meineck, “the media regulator under director Tobias Schmid appears to play a leading role in the distribution of the surveillance software.” If the obscure bureaucrat’s European expansion dreams come true, “the regulatory authority from North Rhine-Westphalia would be largely responsible for the introduction of a European porn detector,” Meineck added.

Main Image: Tobias Schmid, director of the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia

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

British Documentary Spotlights XBIZ Amsterdam With Candid Conversations

British creator and host Josh Pieters traveled to XBIZ Amsterdam to film a documentary about the annual European adult industry conference.

XBIZ 2026 to Debut 'New Talent Go-See' Special Event

XBIZ 2026, North America’s premier adult industry conference, will debut a special event designed to help new talent jump-start their careers: the New Talent Go-See.

Penthouse Announces Digital Archive Launch

Penthouse Magazine has announced that it will launch a comprehensive digital archive in 2026.

Dreamcam Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Dreamcam has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for August, September

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in August and September.

AV in Focus: A Guide to Unlocking Compliance With Clarity

The age verification era isn’t coming — it’s here. Laws are already on the books in numerous U.S. states, as well as in the U.K., France and beyond.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Ricky Johnson Launches 'Ricky's Resort' Through YourPaysitePartner

Ricky's Room studio honcho Ricky Johnson has launched his latest site, RickysResort.com, through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

2026 XMA Nominations Party Set for Nov. 19 in Hollywood

The 2026 XMA nominations reveal party will take place at Keys on the Sunset Strip on Wednesday, Nov. 19, with red-carpet arrivals starting at 8 p.m.

Show More