Starting Tuesday, November 12, 2025, new provisions from the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) will come into force, requiring an age verification system for accessing pornographic websites.
The measure, provided for by Resolution 96/25/CONS, implements the provisions of the so-called “Caivano decree,” approved in 2023 by Giorgia Meloni’s government to combat juvenile crime and protect minors from accessing prohibited content.
Until now, to enter an adult site , you simply had to declare that you were at least 18 years old with a simple click on the home screen . This easily circumvented method allowed even minors to freely access millions of videos.
Under the new rules, this mechanism will be replaced by a more rigorous control: sites will have to verify the age of majority of users through certified third parties—companies, banks, or telephone operators—already authorized to manage identifying data.
The process introduced by AGCOM includes a “double anonymity” system that protects user privacy. In practice, anyone wishing to access an adult site must request “proof of age” from a certified individual.
The provider of this service verifies whether the person is an adult and issues an anonymous code, devoid of personal information, which the user enters on the adult site. The site, in turn, checks the validity of the code before granting access. Verification must be performed each time the user logs in.
The resolution does not impose a single technical system, but it prohibits certain methods considered invasive or unsafe , such as biometric facial recognition or direct requests for ID by pornographic sites. Self-declaration of age is also excluded, as it is now considered insufficient.
AGCOM will be able to take direct action against portals that fail to comply within 20 days of the measure coming into force, potentially even blocking the site in Italy in cases of non-compliance.
The measure will initially affect 48 platforms listed by the Authority, which will be updated over time. These include well-known international portals such as Pornhub, YouPorn, Xvideos, OnlyFans, Chaturbate, and Xhamster , along with numerous smaller sites.
This initial list represents only a fraction of the vast array of pornographic sites accessible from Italy, but it marks the concrete launch of the new control system.
Italy is thus following the example of France, where similar measures have already come into force in recent months. There, too, the primary goal has been to make it more difficult for minors to access pornographic content, balancing security and privacy protection.
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