Stripchat Fails to Overturn EU Digital Services Act Designation in Court
Adult content platform Stripchat loses its legal challenge against EU regulators, remaining subject to strict Digital Services Act content oversight rules.
POLICY WIRE — Brussels, Belgium — The adult content platform Stripchat, a subsidiary of the Cyprus-based firm Technius, has been defeated in its legal bid to escape stringent European Union oversight. Europe’s second-highest court dismissed the company’s challenge on Thursday, upholding the decision by EU regulators to classify the site as a very large online platform.
Three years ago, the European Commission officially designated Stripchat and two other adult content providers under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This landmark legislation mandates that major platforms implement rigorous measures to identify and mitigate illegal or harmful content. Failure to comply with these standards can result in severe financial penalties, reaching as high as 6 percent of a company’s total global turnover.
Stripchat had initiated legal proceedings at the Luxembourg-based General Court to contest the designation. The company specifically challenged the methodology used by the European Commission to calculate its user base, which serves as the primary benchmark for determining whether a platform falls under the scope of the DSA.
In its ruling, the court determined that the European Commission had provided sufficient justification for its classification decision. The legal proceedings are identified as case T-134/24 Technius v Commission.
While the General Court has ruled against the platform, the decision remains subject to potential appeal. Stripchat retains the right to challenge the ruling on matters of law before the EU Court of Justice, which serves as the highest judicial authority in Europe.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
