German Media Regulator Moves Forward With Block of Pornhub, Other Tube Sites

German Media Regulator Moves Forward With Block of Pornhub, Other Tube Sites

BERLIN — Germany's federal media regulator has initiated steps to order a block of Pornhub, YouPorn and MyDirtyHobby, escalating the country’s war against online adult content over age verification, a campaign which has been largely spearheaded by a single local bureaucrat.

Germany’s media regulator has contacted leading telecom providers Telekom, Vodafone, Telefónica and 1&1 to initiate the blocking process, NetsPolitik.org journalist Sebastian Meineck reported Thursday.

A process of hearings has now begun with the final aim of blocking access to those sites for all Germans regardless of age. During these hearings, the internet providers will be allowed to formally comment on the mandated block.

The media regulation authorities are claiming they are merely “enforcing German laws on the protection of minors,” Meineck wrote.

According to the German government, “website visitors are supposed to present their ID or have their face biometrically scanned before they are allowed to watch porn,” Meineck continued. “Major porn sites like Pornhub refuse to subject their users to such invasive controls. After years of legal proceedings against Pornhub, the media regulator is now approaching the strongest means at its disposal: ordering a network ban.”

A Relentless Campaign by an Obsessive Anti-Porn Bureaucrat

Last year, the media regulator ordered a network block for xHamster, which subsequently lost its status as the No. 1 most visited adult site in Germany. Although xHamster relocated its content to a mirror site after the block, Pornhub quickly overtook it as the most popular adult site in the country.

As XBIZ reported, federal authorities have taken up censorship efforts after a relentless campaign by the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia, which has targeted specific adult sites as part of a crusade to require age verification for viewing sexual content in Germany. The drive has been spearheaded by agency director Tobias Schmid, a one-man War on Porn described as having “a fetish for order,” whose efforts led to a court issuing a “network ban” and blocking access to xHamster last year.

Leading daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine noted at the time that “the network ban is the harshest sanction provided by the German Telemedia Act” and that it is “unpopular and is quickly classified as ‘censorship.’”

“Of course, blocking the network is a dramatic intervention,” Schmid told the paper. “With this offer, however, the right to freedom of expression should not be affected too much. It is simply a business with pornography, and done at the expense of children and young people.”

Main Image: Leading German anti-porn crusader Tobias Schmid.

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