Behind a simple used swimsuit ad sometimes hides a completely different business. The High Commissioner for Children, Sarah El Haïry, announced on Sunday that she had contacted Arcom, the digital regulator, after learning that active profiles on Vinted were promoting pornographic content under the guise of traditional sales. A case that raises serious questions about the protection of minors online.
What happened at Vinted?
The seller hijacked a Lithuanian second-hand clothing sales platform to promote pornographic content hosted on another site. Concretely, they offer swimwear or underwear for sale, but these photos are actually the cause of losses for their accounts on platforms such as OnlyFans or Mym, which offer sexually explicit content sold by subscription.
Once the ad is viewed, these “sellers” invite users to contact them via other messaging services – Telegram, WhatsApp or Instagram – to access their paid content. A practice that allows Vinted moderation to be circumvented, as the initial photo of the ad is generally harmless.
In particular, the L’Informé site revealed the existence of this system a few days ago. This investigation has shed light on a phenomenon that, although prohibited by Vinted’s rules, persists on the platform. “Predators” had “resorted to selling fairly standard objects, and in the end they were connected to pornographic sites,” denounced Sarah El Haïry on France 3.
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Why is this a problem?
The crux of the problem lies in the lack of age verification on Vinted. If the platform is theoretically “intended for use by people over the age of 18” according to its terms of use, there are no real measures to filter access.
The result: 23 million Vinted users in France, including many minors, may encounter these redirected ads and be exposed to pornographic content.
However, the law is clear. From 2024, they will require sites hosting pornography to verify the age of their users, with sanctions including blocking. This obligation arises from the SREN (Security and regulation of the digital space) law, enacted on 21 May 2024, which gives Arcom the authority to impose sanctions on recalcitrant platforms.
What did Vinted say?
The Lithuania-based platform assured that it has a “zero tolerance policy towards unsolicited sexual communications or promotion of sexual services” and takes “this situation very seriously”.
The company, which in 2023 had “more than 23 million registered members” in France, recalled that “according to the rules of our catalog, the promotion of sexual services is prohibited”.
Vinted claims to have “proactive detection tools to identify suspicious behavior, such as inappropriate comments,” and encourages “anyone who has observed content to report it.”
The platform guarantees that “any inappropriate, hateful or illegal content will be removed” and will take “action against users, including permanent exclusion, if necessary”.
What is Arcom’s role?
The Audiovisual and Digital Communications Regulatory Authority now has broad powers to control digital platforms. This can provide formal notice, financial sanctions, or even require blocking of the site by the Internet access provider.
In 2025, Arcom has stepped up its action against pornography sites that do not comply with age verification obligations.
The Vinted case is part of a broader context in the fight against illegal content in cyberspace. Sarah El Haïry recalled on Sunday that several online trading giants had been taken to court by the government for marketing illegal products, such as child pornography dolls, or for not respecting their obligations to filter images of a sexual nature. Among the platforms targeted are Shein, AliExpress, Joom, eBay, Temu and Wish.
“The protection of children online should not have any gaps,” Sarah El Haïry reacted on Friday on social networks
