874% VPN Demand Surge in France After Pornhub Pulls Out

vpnMentor’s Research Team observed a significant spike in the demand for VPN services in France. The surge comes after Aylo’s Pornhub, the largest adult website in the world, stated users would not be allowed access to its site from within the country and subsequently geo-blocked French IP addresses

What’s important to know:

• On May 26, the European Commission opened formal proceedings against Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos for suspected breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigation highlights the risks surrounding minors, including those linked to the absence of effective age verification measures.
• This is not the first jurisdiction to look into the porn industry’s age-related restrictions. In the past couple of years, 18 US states have passed laws requiring adult content sites to implement stringent age verification measures.
• The French government’s resolution dictates that adult content websites are under a legal obligation to implement age verification solutions by June 7. In response, Aylo (the company behind Pornhub, Redtube, and YouPorn) decided to restrict access to its sites in that country.
• On June 4th, all of Aylo’s adult freesites became inaccessible to users within France. Now, when they try to access the websites, the message “La liberté n'a pas de bouton off” (freedom has no off button) is displayed topped with an image of the allegorical figure of Lady Liberty brandishing the French flag from Eugene Delacroix’s 1830 painting “Liberty Leading the People”.

This image shows screenshots of the messages on Aylo’s adult content websites.

Following Aylo's geo-block on French IP addresses, there was a significant rise in demand for Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in the country. The vpnMentor Research Team observed a significant increase of 325% noted on Tuesday after Aylo's plan to pull out was known and reaching a staggering 874% on Wednesday after the ban came into effect.

Pulling out of France is a bold move for Aylo, as in 2024 the French audience was Pornhub's second-largest in the world, right after the United States and right before the ban was implemented, Pornhub’s traffic recorded over 67 million visitors from the French territory.

This screenshot shows Pornhub’s traffic by location moments before the geo-block.

As online content regulations evolve, it is crucial for individuals to safeguard their digital presence, privacy, and data integrity, for which we advise users to exercise caution when selecting a VPN provider. We recommend prioritizing security features so they can better safeguard their online privacy.

Throughout the years, we’ve been covering different incidents that highlight the dangers of using unreliable VPN services. For instance, VPN-related data breaches have exposed hundreds of millions of records of sensitive information such as email addresses, passwords, payment details, and personal device data.

To mitigate the risks associated with using VPNs, consider the following criteria when choosing a provider:

1. Strong encryption: Select a VPN service that gives you strong encryption protocols such as AES-256 bit encryption for your data transmission.
2. No-logs policy: Choose a provider that has a strict no-logs policy in place to safeguard your connection logs and browsing history from being stored or shared.
3. Kill switch feature: Find a VPN service that has a kill switch feature to automatically sever your device's internet connection if the VPN drops, hampering any data leaks.
4. DNS leak protection: Make sure the VPN service you select includes built-in DNS leak protection to safeguard your DNS queries from third-party exposure, helping you maintain your privacy while online.

By prioritizing these essential features, users can enhance their online security and privacy when utilizing VPN services.

Past VPN Demand Growths

Aylo/Pornhub has previously geo-blocked 18 states in the USA — all of which have enforced age-verification laws that the adult site deemed unjust.

For instance, in January 2025, VPN demand in Florida soared to 1,150% after Pornhub banned users from that state. This was only four hours after the HB3 law came into effect. Similarly, the passing of adult-site-related age restriction laws has caused a surge in demand in the different states who have implemented it.

vpnMentor neither encourages nor condones the misuse of VPNs for unlawful purposes. It is crucial for users to understand the legal implications of their online activities and to use VPN services responsibly.

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