Interview with Adrien Taquet: “I consider exposure to pornography as violence against minors”

By the age of 12, nearly one in three (1) children has seen pornographic images on the Internet. Adrien Taquet, Secretary of State in charge of Children and Families, answered our questions, as part of the launch of an online platform intended to facilitate the implementation of parental control on access pornographic content (www.jeprotegemonenfant.gouv.fr).

Parents: Do we have precise figures on the consultation of pornographic content by minors?

Adrien Taquet, Secretary of State for the Family: No, and this difficulty illustrates the problem we have to face. To navigate on such sites, minors must promise that they are of the required age, it is the famous “disclaimer”, the figures are therefore distorted. But studies show that the consumption of pornographic content is increasingly massive and early among minors. One in three 12-year-olds has already seen these images (3). Almost a quarter of young people say that pornography has had a negative impact on their sexuality by giving them complexes (1) and 2% of young people who have sex say they reproduce practices they have seen in pornographic videos ( 44).

“Almost a quarter of young people say that pornography has had a negative impact on their sexuality by giving them complexes. “

In addition, experts agree that the brains of these children are not sufficiently developed and that this is a real shock for them. This exhibition therefore represents for them a trauma, a form of violence. Not to mention that pornography represents an obstacle to equality between women and men, since the majority of pornographic content today on the Internet tends to promote male domination and to stage scenes of violence against women. women.

How is it that these minors come across this content?

Adrien Taquet: Half of them say it was by chance (4). The democratization of the Internet has been coupled with the democratization of pornography. The sites have multiplied. This can therefore happen through multiple channels: search engines, suggested advertisements or in the form of pop-ups, content that emerges on social networks, etc.

“Experts agree on the fact that the brains of these children are not sufficiently developed and that it is for them a real shock. “

Today you are launching a support platform for parents, what will it be used for in practice?

Adrien Taquet: There are two goals. The first is to inform and educate parents about this phenomenon and its dangerousness. The second is to help them strengthen parental controls so that their children no longer encounter this pornographic content while using the Internet. Above all, we do not want to make families feel guilty in this time of crisis when it is already so difficult to be a parent. This is why they will find on this site, https://jeprotegemonenfant.gouv.fr/, real practical, simple and free solutions to put in place to secure their children’s browsing at each “link in the chain”; internet service provider, mobile phone operator, search engine, social media accounts. You just have to follow the recommendations, it is very marked and easy to use. It adapts to everyone, the age of the children, the concrete needs, according to the user profiles.

A site to help parents better protect their child: https://jeprotegemonenfant.gouv.fr/

The exposure of minors to the web also takes place outside the home, we cannot control everything …

Adrien Taquet: Yes, and we are well aware that this platform is not a miracle solution. Like all subjects related to the use of the Internet, the empowerment of children remains the first shield. But it is not always easy to discuss it. On the platform, questions / answers, videos and book references allow you to find ways to start this dialogue, to find the words.

On jeprotegemonenfant.gouv.fr, parents will find real practical, simple and free solutions to put in place to make their children’s browsing safer. “

Shouldn’t we strengthen the control of the editors of pornographic sites?

Adrien Taquet: Our desire is not to prohibit the distribution of pornography on the Internet, but to fight against the exposure of minors to such content. The law of July 30, 2020 stipulates that the mention “declare to be over 18” is not sufficient. Associations can seize the CSA to demand mechanisms of prohibition to minors. It’s up to publishers to put them in place, to find solutions. They have the means to do so, such as making the content paid for, for example …

Interview by Katrin Acou-Bouaziz

The platform: https://jeprotegemonenfant.gouv.fr/

1. (1) Opinionway survey “Moi Jeune” for 20 Minutes, published in April 2018
2. (2) Opinionway survey “Moi Jeune” for 20 Minutes, published in April 2018
3. (3) IFOP survey “Adolescents and porn: towards a“ Youporn Generation? ” , 2017
4. (4) IFOP survey “Adolescents and porn: towards a“ Youporn Generation? ”, 2017