Pornhub is no longer available in France because of a new law mandating users of porn sites prove their age before using the site. 

France is Pornhub’s second biggest market - after the US - but the company believes the new law is a risk to privacy. 

After consideration, it has pulled out of the French market and its former users have been geoblocked.

The French Government argues the reform is necessary to protect children from viewing pornography. 

On Lunchtime Live, SERP Institute Director Ruth Breslin praised the French Government for trying to protect children. 

“I couldn’t agree more with the Minister for Gender Equality in France,” she said. 

“She’s absolutely right; pornography is absolutely rife with extreme violence, misogynistic, degrading and humiliating content - much of which is targeted at women and girls. 

“Nine in 10 scenes contain violence. 

“Pornography is driving a rise in very harmful sexual practices - including non consensual practices, including dangerous practices, such as strangulation.” 

Ms Breslin continued that there is “strong evidence” that violent pornography is changing people’s sex lives. 

“Adults but particularly young people, who have no sexual template for sexual behaviour, are learning from pornography that very violent and degrading sex is what sex is supposed to be,” she said. 

Porn verification: 'How do you police this?'

Also on the programme, porn star Andy Lee said he believed that when approaching this issue, society’s “number one priority” should be the protection of children, followed by the protection of adults’ privacy. 

“Now, how do you police this? Is this going to work? The internet is such a mess,” he said. 

“They say, ‘Oh, we’re going to add the verification in’ - but who is going to stop [people] putting porn on Twitter, for example? 

“Or one of these other websites that’s not a paid website, that doesn’t go through this age verification process. 

“Or who is to stop a Russian website, who is going to police that?”

Andy Lee. Image: Supplied

Mr Lee predicted that teenagers who want to access Pornhub will still be able to do so. 

“I don’t understand how they’re going to police this,” he said. 

“Kids are not stupid; they’re going to use VPNs. 

“If kids want to see this stuff, they’re going to see this stuff.

“Ultimately, it comes down to parents to police it really.”

The Programme for Government did not contain a single reference or commitment to pornography.

Main image: A man using Pornhub. Picture by: Alamy.com.