German Court Sides With Anti-Porn Crusader, Blocks 3 Adult Sites

German Court Sides With Anti-Porn Crusader, Blocks 3 Adult Sites

DUSSELDORF, Germany — The one-man War on Porn being conducted in Germany by an obscure, conservative local bureaucrat from the North Rhine-Westphalia region has resulted in the first national ban order on “three pornographic sites based in Cyprus.”

The sites were identified by Der Spiegel as YouPorn, Pornhub and MyDirtyHobby.

As previously reported, the same anti-porn campaign has also targeted xHamster, one of Germany’s leading tube sites, which has offices in Cyprus.

The Dusseldorf administrative court said today it had "rejected complaints by the sites' two unnamed operators, who argued that child-protection regulations in Germany didn't apply to them because they were based in another European Union country,” the AP reported.

Minor state bureaucrat Tobias Schmid, of the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia, has been single-handedly monopolizing anti-porn headlines in Germany for years. Schmid has stated that his goal is to “shut down” all major tube sites over alleged age-verification infractions.

Schmid’s crusade recently received the blessing of the federal Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media, or Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz.

AP reports that “the court said the decision taken by the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia state to ban the sites in Germany didn't breach national, European or international law.”

Judges ruled that German law applies because “children and young people are at risk of serious and grave danger from freely available pornographic internet sites.”

As part of its reasoning, the judges “cited studies showing half of all minors questioned had viewed available online pornography, while only a quarter of parents used devices or software to block such content.”

The ruling can be appealed.

According to Der Spiegel, "in order to avert the ban, the porn portals for German users would have to install one of the more than 80 youth protection systems approved in Germany. These essentially provide that a user has identified himself as of legal age with an identification document. It is also possible to identify yourself as of legal age via a corresponding account or a mobile phone contract if the age was recorded when the contract was signed."

A Bureaucrat With a Fetish for 'Order'

As XBIZ has been reporting, Schmid has also recently targeted OnlyFans, telling a mainstream newspaper in March that the site is “increasingly attracting erotic providers and influencers” and promising, “we will take care of it.”

A local bureaucrat aligned with the establishment’s center-right Christian Democrat party, Schmid has gained national and international stature since 2019 by appointing himself the Central European nation’s chief proponent of state censorship on sexual content.

Schmid’s rhetoric, like that of fellow War on Porn crusaders worldwide, claims his campaign is driven by a desire to “protect the children.”

The German newspaper Taz observed in a 2016 article profiling Schmid that “Ordnungspolitik ist sein Fetisch,” meaning “Regulatory policy is his fetish.”

Main Image: Tobias Schmid (Source: LMA)

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FSC Publishes Analysis of Federal Trade Commission Event Promoting AV

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an analysis of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) event held this week that promoted age verification among other forms of speech regulation.

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pineapple Support to Host Wellness Sessions at Bucharest Summit

Pineapple Support is hosting free group and one-on-one therapy sessions at Bucharest Summit, June 3-5.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

ASACP Highlights Study on Parental Controls

The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is highlighting the results of a study on the underutilization of parental controls.

Sydney Screams Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Sydney Screams has launched her new membership site, SydneyScreams.xxx, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Mistress Mystii Is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for June

LoyalFans has named Mistress Mystii as its Featured Creator for June.

Show More