France’s Senate has voted in a new criminal offence targeting intermediaries or agents representing adult content creators on online platforms. The bill, which has sparked deep divisions, aims to crack down on what supporters call “pimping 2.0”.

France’s Senate on Tuesday evening overwhelmingly approved a bill creating a new criminal offence of ‘online sexual exploitation’. The proposal, introduced by conservative Les Républicains Senator Marie Mercier, seeks to tackle agents or intermediaries of adult content creators operating on platforms offering personalised sexual services such as OnlyFans and the French platform Mym.

The text was significantly rewritten during parliamentary debates, resulting in the creation of “a new offence inspired by human trafficking lawThe legislation primarily targets agents who operate around subscription-based adult content platforms, accused of profiting from abusive practices, in some cases likened to modern forms of exploitation or coercion.

A legal grey area

Platforms such as OnlyFans and Mym operate on a subscription model in which users pay for access to photos, videos or personalised sexual content on demand. Their popularity surged since the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, under French law, prostitution requires physical contact. Because online sexual services take place remotely, they do not fall within the legal definition of prostitution, a position confirmed by France’s highest court, the Cour de cassation, notably in rulings concerning live-streamed sexual performances or “camming”.

As a result, neither the platforms nor the intermediaries who profit from them can currently be prosecuted for pimping under existing legislation.

“The problem is that we are witnessing a fundamental debate about whether this type of content should be considered prostitution,” digital law attorney Raphaël Molina told Euronews.

Faced with this legal deadlock, senators opted for a different approach: creating a standalone offence specifically targeting intermediaries.

Targeting ‘pimps 2.0’

The law focuses on so-called “managers” or “agents” who recruit, supervise and monetise the activity of adult content creators.

On paper, the young women involved — typically in their early to mid-20s, often students — are said to be looking to “make ends meet” through online services.

According to Senator Mercier, managers “promise their models financial independence” and “a risk-free activity in their bedroom, behind a screen.”

But, she argues, “the reality behind the scenes is far more sordid,” involving “minors,” “consent sometimes obtained through harassment,” and “increasingly unhealthy or violent images and videos.”

“These are not the creators we are targeting,” Mercier told Euronews. “I am targeting the business chain of these men — usually aged between 20 and 30 — who make a lot of money at the expense of these young women whose lives are being destroyed.”