Pornhub announced it will restrict access to its website for users in the United Kingdom starting next week, citing the country's stricter age verification requirements under the Online Safety Act (OSA), according to BBC Technology. The adult entertainment platform's parent company, Aylo, stated the age checks "had not achieved its goal of protecting minors" and had instead "diverted traffic to darker, unregulated corners of the internet."
The restriction, set to take effect on February 2, will limit access to Pornhub's content to only those who have previously created an account on the site, BBC Technology reported. Aylo claimed that traffic to the website had already fallen by 77% since the implementation of the OSA in October, according to BBC Technology. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, stated at the time that the tougher age checks were fulfilling their intended purpose, according to BBC Technology.
In other news from around Europe, former French senator Joël Guerriau was sentenced to four years in prison on Tuesday for drugging National Assembly MP Sandrine Josso with ecstasy with the intent to sexually assault her, Euronews reported. A French court ordered that 18 months of the sentence be served behind bars. Guerriau, 68, was found guilty of spiking Josso's champagne with MDMA at his Paris apartment in November 2023, according to Euronews. Guerriau denied any sexual motivation and stated he would appeal the court's decision, Euronews noted. Josso said, "It's a huge relief," according to Euronews.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, hundreds of torchbearers gathered in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, for the Up Helly Aa Viking fire festival, Euronews reported. Despite an impending thunderstorm, the heavily disguised participants marched through the town holding burning torches, culminating in the burning of a Viking-style galley, according to Euronews. The festival, which originated in the 1880s to mark the end of the Yule season, attracts visitors from around the world, Euronews noted. Up Helly Aa is considered Europe's largest fire festival, according to Euronews.
In France, the region of Brittany is experiencing widespread flooding due to days of heavy rainfall, Euronews reported. The entire region is now under flood alert, with aerial images showing large areas underwater, according to Euronews. Residents in a neighborhood of Quimper are trapped in their homes, and an orange flood alert remains in place for the whole Finistère basin, according to Euronews. A new flood was announced on Tuesday, and another is expected, Euronews noted.
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