French ISPs Might Be Off the Hook for Content

FRANCE – A recent bill being reviewed by French legislators would make Internet Service Providers (ISPs) legally responsible for all content they deliver to users, a Pandora's Box, say critics, that could open the floodgates to lawsuits over child pornography and adult pornography, to name just a few of the possible snafus.

Critics of the bill contend that by putting ISPs at such legal risk, they will be forced to act as content censors, which poses a threat to free speech and freedom of expression rights.

The bill, which has stirred up debate among politicians and free speech advocates, is titled the 'Bill to Promote Confidence in the Digital Economy,' and was originally drafted as part of a French directive to align ecommerce laws with other European countries.

Various political organizations like the Union of Judges and other groups are calling on legislators to reconsider the harsh terms of the bill and to instead consider implementing a similar law that is used in Spain, which uses a specific body to determine what content should be censored.

Copyright © 2026 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

'InMelanin' Relaunches Through PAYSITE

InMelanin.com has officially relaunched through PAYSITE.

Pearl Industry Network Partners With Takedown Piracy

Industry trade group Pearl Industry Network (PiN) has officially partnered with Takedown Piracy.

Hollywood Reporter Spotlights XBIZ Miami in Feature on Fan Platforms

Last month's XBIZ conference serves as the setting for a new Hollywood Reporter feature examining the competitive fan platform market.

F2F, Image Angel Launch 'Forensic Watermarking' for Traceability

Friends2Follow (F2F) and Image Angel have partnered to launch a new traceability solution to combat unauthorized content sharing with the use of forensic watermarks.

EU Court: France Can Require Foreign Sites to Implement AV

The European Union’s Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that France may require pornographic websites based in other EU states to implement age verification in accordance with French law, as long as France follows EU electronic commerce rules.

LoyalFans Announces 'Group Walkthrough' Online Event Series

LoyalFans has announced its new “Group Walkthrough” online event series for creators, taking place every Tuesday and Thursday.

Bree Sky Officially Launches 'ThirstChat' Fan Platform

Creator and entrepreneur Bree Sky has debuted her new fan platform, ThirstChat.

Lawsuit Alleging Meta Pirated VMG Content Will Move Forward

A U.S. district court on Thursday rejected Facebook parent company Meta’s motion to dismiss a suit by Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings, which accuses Meta of pirating VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Playboy Partners With Creator Platform Tango

Playboy has partnered with creator platform Tango, introducing Playmates to the livestreaming service.

Anti-Porn Senator Introduces Federal Age Verification Bill

U.S. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana, who last month urged the Department of Justice to ramp up obscenity prosecutions, on Wednesday introduced a bill that would make age verification by adult websites federal law.

Show More