EU state introduces ‘porn passports’

Residents of Spain who wish to access online pornography will soon have to use a digital ID as Madrid seeks to crack down on smut
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Spain has moved to crack down on minors accessing online smut

Residents of Spain who wish to access online pornography will soon have to use a government-issued phone application, with a digital ID code and a limited number of credits.

The move comes after Dale Una Vuelta, an anti-pornography group campaigning for tighter regulations, released statistics showing the alarming spread of porn among minors.

“The data is devastating. Almost half of young people under 15 years of age consume it,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the newspaper El Pais.

Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegria has called the app “pioneering in Europe,” noting that the EU regulations envision the introduction of such digital passes by 2027.

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The Spanish media have dubbed it the “pajaporte,” a play on words translating as “masturbation pass.” It is expected to become available “by the end of the summer.”

Officially known as Cartera Digital Beta (Digital Wallet Beta), the application will work as a mobile phone wallet. It would first verify that the user is 18 or older, using one of the five forms of government-issued ID, then issue 30 “credits” that would be valid for a month.

The app would generate a QR code that will need to be scanned to access an adult website. Each credential can be reused with the same content provider only ten times, ostensibly to protect user privacy, the Spanish Ministry of Digital Transformation has said.

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The rules apply to Spain-based porn providers, but the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) will also keep a list of foreign providers in order to enforce the verification requirement through web browsers. The government has reportedly asked social media platforms and messaging apps for “collaboration” on the scheme as well.

Once the EU law on age verification comes into effect, in October 2027, the ‘pajaporte’ will likely be replaced by the bloc’s digital identity system, known as eIDAS2.