Pornographic content, blocking for minors will start in 2026 for foreign sites
AgCom clarifies that the block is already active for sites established in Italy, while it will start in three months for foreign sites
Verifying that the user is of legal age will be mandatory for most pornographic sites from 1 February 2026. In particular, for those that are 'not established in Italy.
The difference with sites established in Italy
For the others, however, the blocking of minors already came into force on 12 November, i.e. six months after the publication of the measure. Those sites will have to 'equip themselves with age verification systems that comply with the indicated requirements'.
The postponement to 1 February, i.e. three months after AgCom's announcement of the sites involved, was decided in order to give operators time to adapt and find a way to verify that the user is of age.
How the verification works
It will be done through the model of 'double anonymity'. Thus, certified independent third parties - not Spid - will be used to provide proof of age. In this way, the site will receive no information about the user and the verifier will not know where he or she is accessing.
Codacons' doubts
'A fair measure' according to Codacons, the consumer association. Which, however, 'represents a drop in the ocean and will not, unfortunately, stop the spread of pornographic material among young people, a phenomenon that, according to a recent CNR survey, involves 88% of Italian male adolescents and 40% of female adolescents'.
