France’s regulator Arcom sets a technical standard (référentiel) for age verification on pornographic sites, based on the 2024 law on securing and regulating the digital space (SREN).
| Law | Loi n° 2024-449 (SREN) |
| Regulator | Arcom |
| In force since | 23 May 2024 |
| Penalties | After a one-month formal notice: up to €150,000 or 2% of worldwide turnover; up to €300,000 or 4% for a repeat within five years (LCEN art. 10). |
Sites showing pornographic content must use an age-verification system that meets Arcom’s technical référentiel, so that no pornographic content is visible before the age check. Arcom adopted the référentiel on 9 Oct 2024 and published it on 11 Oct 2024; sites had three months to comply (with a temporary bank-card option).
Arcom's référentiel (9 Oct 2024) sets minimum technical requirements for age-verification systems on services offering pornographic content; a self-declared click doesn't verify age. A lawyer can confirm whether that's you.
Arcom's announcement (11 Oct 2024) doesn't spell out every case by country of establishment. The official sources don't settle this yet. A lawyer can confirm whether that's you.
Not legal advice. This page summarises and links to primary sources; it does not tell you what the law requires of your specific site.