Disclaimer: This page is written for adults. Gizmodo supports France’s effort to keep explicit material away from minors. Explicit material is restricted to adults in France. Our interest is the privacy of legal adults, whose identity documents now pass through third-party companies with their own breach history.
Open Pornhub from France today, and you’ll find an odd version of the site. Thumbnails are non-explicit, a login prompt covers the page, and French visitors can’t create new accounts. YouPorn and RedTube still show a protest page instead. Porn itself isn’t banned in France.
A 2024 law requires adult sites to check every visitor’s age. Pornhub’s owner, Aylo, won’t add the checks France’s regulator demands. Most other big sites now require a selfie or an ID scan, which many adults would rather not hand to a verification company. Here’s the quick setup for Pornhub first, then the sites we checked from Paris.
Watch Pornhub From France in 2026
- Subscribe to NordVPN, then sign in to its app.
- Choose a server in Switzerland, where Pornhub has no French restrictions.
- Open Pornhub in a private browser window and start watching.
Which Porn Sites Work in France? November 2026 Check
Here’s the status of 15 popular adult sites on a Paris server, checked in November:
| Site | In France |
| Pornhub | Login screen only, new sign-ups closed |
| YouPorn | Blocked |
| RedTube | Blocked |
| Tube8 | Works normally |
| Brazzers | Works normally (paid membership) |
| Stripchat | Works normally |
| Chaturbate | Works normally |
| xHamster | Age check |
| XVideos | Age check |
| XNXX | Age check |
| SpankBang | Age check |
| Eporner | Age check |
| Tukif | Age check |
| Jacquie et Michel | Age check |
| LiveJasmin | Age check |
Surprisingly, Tube8 and Brazzers work normally even though Aylo owns them too. Outside Aylo’s group, most sites put a selfie or ID check in front of their videos, including xHamster, while Stripchat and Chaturbate showed no check from Paris.
Why Pornhub Has No Porn in France
Pornhub’s French version isn’t a glitch. Since January 2025, France has required adult sites to verify ages with methods approved by Arcom, its media regulator. Aylo, which runs Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube from Cyprus, argues that checks on each website don’t work and that phones and computers should verify ages instead.
As in Texas, Aylo chose to limit its sites, and the dispute has gone back and forth since:
- June 4, 2025: Aylo suspends Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube in France, days before the rules apply to its sites.
- June 20, 2025: the three sites return after a Paris court suspends the rules for porn sites based in other EU countries.
- July 15, 2025: the Conseil d’État, France’s top administrative court, reinstates the rules, and Aylo blocks the sites again.
- June 5, 2026: Pornhub reopens in France without adult content, the same week a Paris court dismisses Aylo’s challenge to the rules.
- June 16, 2026: the EU Court of Justice rules that France can require age checks from porn sites registered elsewhere in the EU.
Aylo hasn’t explained why Pornhub came back in June 2026. Pressure is coming from the EU as well. In March 2026, the European Commission found, provisionally, that Pornhub didn’t do enough to keep minors off the site under EU rules.
How to Watch Pornhub in France
Your IP address tells Pornhub which country you’re in, and so which version to show. A connection from a country without these restrictions, such as Switzerland, removes the French limits. In NordVPN, that means picking Switzerland from the country list before you load the site.
Keep the VPN connected while you use Pornhub, including when you sign in. If the French version still appears, clear the site’s cookies or switch to a private window. Any service that lets you change your IP address to another country works the same way.
The VPN’s encryption also hides your browsing from your internet provider. The same connection unblocks YouPorn and RedTube, which Aylo blocks in France. For sites outside Aylo’s group, our guide to XVideos with a VPN covers the details.
Choosing a VPN for Pornhub in France
A VPN for adult sites should have fast servers near France, a strict no-logs policy, and apps for the devices you watch on.
On Swiss servers, tested from our connection in Europe, NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN recorded these speeds. Pornhub worked normally on every server we tried:
| Swiss server | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Ping |
| No VPN (baseline) | 190.36 | 19.37 | 10 ms |
| NordVPN (Zurich) | 179.18 | 18.39 | 41 ms |
| Proton VPN (Zurich) | 182.76 | 18.46 | 46 ms |
| ExpressVPN (Switzerland) | 170.36 | 18.35 | 43 ms |
NordVPN: Best Overall for Pornhub in France
Pros
- Servers in 152 countries
- Kill switch blocks leaks if the VPN drops
- Double VPN for an extra encryption layer
- Independently audited no-logs policy
Con
- Higher renewal price
NordVPN’s Zurich server had the lowest ping in our Swiss test and more than enough speed for 4K video. Setup takes a minute on phones, computers, and TVs, and one subscription covers ten devices. For the lowest price, check our NordVPN coupon page before you subscribe.
Proton VPN: Best for Fast Swiss Servers
Pros
- Secure Core routes traffic through two countries
- NetShield blocks malware and trackers
- Swiss jurisdiction
- Accepts cash and Bitcoin
Con
- Secure Core slows the connection
Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, and its Zurich server recorded our fastest Swiss download, slightly ahead of NordVPN’s. For extra privacy, Secure Core routes traffic through Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden first. It slows the connection, though, so leave it off when you only want to watch.
ExpressVPN: Best for Quick Setup on Phones
Pros
- Simple apps with few settings to learn
- Lightway protocol for quick connections
- No-log policy audited by KPMG
- Apps for phones, TVs, and routers
Cons
- Few advanced privacy settings
- Tracker blocking only on higher plans
ExpressVPN connected to Switzerland on its default settings, and its speed easily covered 4K video. Its apps are simple enough for VPN newcomers. Even the Basic plan blocks ads and malicious sites, which helps on free adult sites full of pop-ups.
Is Porn Legal in France?
Yes, watching porn is legal for adults in France. The 2024 law places its obligations on websites. In its July 2025 ruling, France’s top administrative court also said the age-check rule doesn’t stop porn from being shown to adults. Unlike Saudi Arabia, where porn is illegal at any age, France only penalizes sites that let minors in:
- Fines: up to €150,000 or 2% of worldwide turnover, doubled for a repeat offense
- Minors still able to access a site after a notice: up to €250,000 or 4% of worldwide turnover
- Blocking: internet providers must block a site, and search engines must remove it, within 48 hours of an Arcom order
Using a VPN is legal in France too. In January 2026, France’s digital minister said VPNs were “the next subject on my list,” but her office soon told BFMTV that she considers them useful for many legitimate purposes. No VPN restriction has followed.
How Age Checks Work in France
French rules require adult sites to offer at least one “double anonymity” method. The site learns only that you’re over 18, while the verification company doesn’t learn which site you’re visiting. In practice, most sites require a selfie for facial age estimation, or a photo of an ID card plus a selfie, processed by a third-party company.
When we opened Tukif from Paris, its checker offered seven methods, from a selfie to a paper ticket sold at tobacco shops. Privacy is the main worry. In 2025, French tech site Next found that AgeGO, the checker XVideos and XNXX use, records the address of the video a visitor tries to watch. Separately, a breach at a vendor that processed age appeals for Discord exposed tens of thousands of ID photos in October 2025.
The UK runs similar checks under its Online Safety Act, as our guide to porn in the UK explains. France is also testing an anonymous age proof in its France Identité app, along with an EU age-verification app, but neither is widely available yet.
Final Thoughts
France’s age-check law has reshaped what adults see online. Pornhub now shows a version without adult videos, YouPorn and RedTube remain blocked, and most other big sites require a selfie or ID scan before any video plays.
On a Swiss server, Pornhub works normally again, with your traffic encrypted along the way. NordVPN connected with the lowest ping from Switzerland, and it’s also a strong VPN for everyday use in France.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did France get rid of Pornhub?
No. France requires age checks on adult sites, and Pornhub's owner, Aylo, limited the site instead of adding them. French visitors see a version with no explicit videos and no new sign-ups.
Is using a VPN legal in France?
Yes. French law doesn't prohibit VPNs, and the government has ruled out banning them. The age-check law applies to websites, which must verify visitors' ages.
Why doesn't YouPorn work in France?
YouPorn's owner, Aylo, blocks French visitors in protest at France's age-verification rules. RedTube shows the same notice, while Pornhub opens without any explicit content.
Is Pornhub available in France?
Yes, but only in a limited form. French visitors can open Pornhub, though explicit content is hidden behind a login screen and new accounts can't be created from France.
Is it safe to verify your age on French porn sites?
No, not entirely. Approved methods are meant to keep the site and the checker apart, but verification companies still process faces and ID documents, and some have logged visited pages or suffered breaches.