Gender-based violence and illegal content on pornographic platforms

The European Commission is planning to launch a negotiated procedure for a procurement contract focused on addressing gender-based violence on pornography platforms, specifically targeting Pornhub, XVideos, and XNXX, which have been designated as Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The contract, identified as EC-CNECT/2025/MVP/0071-EXA, has a maximum value of €142,000 and will span a duration of 12 months. It aims to gather insights for the Commission’s supervision and enforcement related to content moderation, illegal activities including child sexual abuse material and human trafficking, and protection measures for minors. While specific eligibility criteria for applicants are not detailed, potential entities might include research institutes, legal advisory firms, and NGOs with expertise in digital rights and content moderation. The application process will consist of a single stage without pre-qualification rounds, following an open call format. The deadline for expressions of interest is set for August 4, 2025, with an indicative launch date for the negotiated procedure on the same day. The nature of support provided will be monetary, as successful contractors will receive payment for the services rendered. There is no requirement for co-funding, and success rates for EU tenders of this kind are not specified. Geographic eligibility appears to center on entities within the EU, as indicated by the DSA framework. The project is particularly focused on compliance with specific aspects of the DSA, including effective age verification systems and internal complaint-handling mechanisms to enhance the platforms' regulatory compliance. Stakeholders interested in this opportunity are advised to keep an eye on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for further details and official documentation to be released ahead of the application process. This announcement is a prelude to intent rather than a direct call for tenders.

This is a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure, not a call for tenders. More information can be found via a provided link. Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given.

The procedure identifier is EC-CNECT/2025/MVP/0071-EXA.

The description is as follows:In December 2023, the European Commission designated three major pornography websites, Pornhub.com, Stripchat.com, and Xvideos.com, as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). A fourth, XNXX.com, received the same designation in July 2024. In May 2025, the European Commission terminated the designation of Stripchat as a VLOP following an assessment, which concluded that Stripchat's number of average monthly active recipients in the EU had been lower than the relevant threshold for an uninterrupted period of one year. This call for tenders concentrates on Pornhub, XVideos, and XNXX, which will collectively be referred to as the “Three Designated Entities”.

The objective of this project is to obtain timely and relevant insights tailored to the specific environments of the Three Designated Entities. This should help to ensure a nuanced and effective approach towards the Commission’s supervision and enforcement activities with regard to the Three Designated Entities. The project will focus on the following key areas of DSA compliance, which reinforce each other:

1. Content Moderation:application and enforcement of the terms and conditions, the implementation of notice and action mechanisms (including the handling of notices submitted by trusted flaggers), and the establishment of internal complaint-handling systems (articles 16, 17, 20, and 22 of the DSA).

2. Illegal Content and Activities:mapping and analysing the presence of content, irrespective of its form, which is either illegal in itself under EU or national law such as illegal hate speech, or the applicable rules render illegal as it relates to illegal activities (images depicting child sexual abuse - CSAM - the unlawful non-consensual sharing of private images, cyber stalking, the non-authorized use of copyright protected material, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This analysis should be clearly situated within the framework of the DSA, specifically the risk assessment and mitigation obligations under Articles 34 and 35 of the DSA.

3. Protection of Minors:delineation of relevant aspects pertaining to the protection of minors in connection with the Three Designated Entities, as outlined in Articles 28, 34 and 35 of the DSA. Areas of focus should encompass the testing of effective age verification of any person(s) depicted in the content uploaded, live-streamed or otherwise shared on the Three Designated Entities, as well as specific measures to mitigate the dissemination of CSAM.

The maximum value of the procurement is €142.000 and the contract duration is 12 months. The procedure type is a planned negotiated procedure for middle/low value contract. The lead contracting authority is the European Commission, DG CNECT Communications Networks, Content and Technology. The main classification (CPV) is 73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services. The nature of the contract is services. There is no framework agreement.

Milestones:

Start date for expression of interest:2025-07-17 Europe/Brussels

Deadline for expression of interest:04/08/2025 04:59 Europe/Brussels

Indicative date of launch of the negotiated procedure:2025-08-04 Europe/Brussels

Expression of interest:

Submissions must be sent exclusively at the address for submission given below.

Method of expression of interest:Electronic

Address for expression of interest:Express interest

A frequently asked question is:Where can I find the procurement documents for calls for tenders with ‘ExA' in the reference? The answer is: References that feature an ‘ExA’ are not calls for tenders. They are a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intent to launch in the future a low or middle negotiated procedure. This was published on 03/10/2024 16:32.

In summary, the European Commission, DG CNECT, intends to launch a negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract concerning gender-based violence on pornography platforms, specifically Pornhub, XVideos, and XNXX, designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). The project aims to gain insights into these platforms to support the Commission's supervision and enforcement activities under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The project will focus on content moderation, illegal content and activities (including CSAM and human trafficking), and the protection of minors, including age verification. The maximum contract value is €142,000 with a duration of 12 months. The expression of interest period begins on July 17, 2025, and ends on August 4, 2025, with the negotiated procedure expected to launch on August 4, 2025. This announcement is not a call for tenders, but a notification of a future opportunity.

Eligible Applicant Types:The opportunity details do not explicitly state the eligible applicant types. Given the nature of the project, potential applicants could include research institutes, consultancy services, organizations with expertise in content moderation, online safety, and legal compliance, or other entities with relevant experience in the areas outlined in the description.

Funding Type:The funding type is a service contract, specifically a planned negotiated procedure for a middle/low value contract. This is indicated by the phrase "call for tenders" and the description of the "Nature of the contract" as "services".

Consortium Requirement:The opportunity details do not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if a single applicant is sufficient. This will likely be clarified in the full call for tenders documentation when it is released.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):The opportunity details do not explicitly define geographic eligibility. However, given that it is issued by the European Commission and concerns compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), it is highly likely that the beneficiary scope includes entities established within the EU. Further clarification may be provided in the full call for tenders documentation.

Target Sector:The program targets the following sectors: ICT, security/cybersecurity, and research. The project focuses on content moderation, illegal content and activities (including child sexual abuse material, hate speech, and human trafficking), and the protection of minors on Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs), specifically pornography platforms. It also involves research and development services related to these areas.

Mentioned Countries:No specific countries are mentioned, but the context implies the European Union (EU) due to the mention of the European Commission, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the focus on compliance with EU law.

Project Stage:The project stage appears to be focused on research, analysis, and development of insights to inform the Commission's supervision and enforcement activities. It is not explicitly focused on idea, validation, demonstration, commercialization, or scale-up, but rather on obtaining timely and relevant insights tailored to the specific environments of the Three Designated Entities.

Funding Amount:The maximum value of the procurement is €142,000. This falls into the €50K–€200K range.

Application Type:The application type is a planned negotiated procedure, which will involve an expression of interest followed by a negotiated procedure.

Nature of Support:Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a service contract payment for the provision of research and consultancy services.

Application Stages:The application process appears to have at least two stages: an expression of interest and a subsequent negotiated procedure.

Success Rates:The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement:The co-funding requirement is not mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity is a pre-announcement for a future negotiated procedure by the European Commission, DG CNECT, concerning gender-based violence on pornography platforms. The project, identified by procedure identifier EC-CNECT/2025/MVP/0071-EXA, aims to obtain insights into content moderation, illegal content, and the protection of minors on three designated Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs): Pornhub, XVideos, and XNXX. This initiative is designed to support the Commission's supervision and enforcement activities under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The project will focus on key areas such as the application and enforcement of terms and conditions, the implementation of notice and action mechanisms, the handling of notices submitted by trusted flaggers, the establishment of internal complaint-handling systems, mapping and analyzing the presence of illegal content, and testing effective age verification measures. The maximum contract value is €142,000, with a contract duration of 12 months. The start date for expression of interest is planned for 2025-07-17, with a deadline of 2025-08-04. The indicative date for the launch of the negotiated procedure is 2025-08-04. Interested parties should monitor the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for the official call for tenders and related documentation. This is not a call for tenders but a publication announcing the contracting authority’s intention to publish a future negotiated low or middle value procedure.