The Dutch House of Representatives has voted to require websites that host sex-work advertisements to verify the identity and age of advertisers and of every person offered in an ad, using a valid identity document and a facial photo taken on the day of the request. Platforms would also have to repeat the photo check each time an ad is placed or changed.
The requirement comes from an amendment by MPs Boomsma and Bikker to the bill implementing the revised EU anti-trafficking directive. The amendment passed on Tuesday with support from every party except the PVV, and the amended bill was then adopted unanimously. It still needs Senate approval before it can take effect.
The amendment adds a new offense to the Dutch Criminal Code. Operators of services evidently aimed at placing or distributing ads for paid sexual acts, whether based in the Netherlands or targeting a Dutch audience, would commit a crime if they fail to meet four obligations. First, no ad may go live until identity and age are verified and each person is confirmed to be at least 18.
Second, for every new or edited ad, a same-day facial photo must confirm that the person offered is the person previously verified, and the photo must be destroyed immediately after verification. Third, the advertiser’s name, date of birth, phone number, payment reference and internet connection data must be recorded, kept for two years and handed to investigating officers on request. Fourth, users must have a clearly visible way to report suspected exploitation or a minor, and a reported ad must be taken offline until the report has been assessed.
Operators face up to a year in prison or a fifth-category fine. Companies can be fined at the sixth category or, where that is insufficient, a percentage of turnover. Details of the verification method and data handling can be set by order in council.
In their explanatory note, the sponsors cite warnings from the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Europol that sexual exploitation increasingly takes place through sex-ad websites. They also cite a two-year Public Prosecution Service-led project which found self-regulation by the sites insufficient. Belgium has applied similar identity-document and same-day photo checks to sex-ad providers since 2024. The sponsors say Belgian monitoring found that verified accounts were being used by third parties, which is why the Dutch text requires a new photo check for every ad.
The obligations apply to dedicated sex-ad websites of any size. Social media and messaging services remain covered by the EU Digital Services Act’s rules on illegal content.
Sources: Tweede Kamer, Tweede Kamer voting record
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
