French Minister Proposes Requiring Credit or Debit Card for Porn Access

French Minister Proposes Requiring Credit or Debit Card for Porn Access

PARIS — French Secretary of State for Childhood Charlotte Caubel has begun advocating for a mandatory age verification system under which access to pornographic websites would be granted exclusively to credit or debit card holders.

Caubel told the nation's National Assembly on Tuesday that her solution is a “pragmatic” approach that would “filter” pornographic websites. It would be up to the French government to determine what sites qualify as pornographic, and it is unclear if Caubel’s proposal would prevent anyone without a debit card from accessing mainstream platforms such as Twitter and Reddit, which tolerate adult content.

In her remarks, Caubel used the term “carte bleue,” which generically refers to both credit and debit cards.

Caubel vowed to push seriously for implementing some form of age verification, but was vague on specifics, telling the lawmakers that her payment card plan would involve charging “zero or one Euro” to allow access to pornographic sites. This measure alone, she argued, would serve as a partial filter. She acknowledged that the solution was imperfect, but claimed it could protect 30-40% of minors.

“Let's be pragmatic,” she urged. “My child, when he uses his carte bleue, I get an alert. I can see if it's being used on YouPorn or on McDonalds.”

Raising her voice indignantly, Caubel alleged that France “is the fourth country in the world in the production of child pornography. Until when do we have to wait to open our eyes? It destroys our children from within.”

"Let's stop using tweezers," Caubel said. "It destroys our children from the inside ... it prevents breaking the chain of sexual violence that we continue to feed."

Caubel's remarks conflated CSAM with legal adult material, and echoed a sensationalistic report about “the infernal porn industry” produced by a French Senate committee and SWERF organizations last month.

“There is an opposition today between the freedom to go to adult porn sites and the trauma created for our children,” Caubel continued. “This is a matter of values. Let's consider them together and see which ones we defend.”

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

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More