The EU’s General Court on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, ruled against Stripchat in a lawsuit seeking to annul a 2023 European Commission decision designating the site as a “very large online platform” (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The ruling upholds Stripchat’s original designation under the Digital Services Act, subjecting it to the law’s strictest obligations. The court found that the European Commission was entitled to rely on the audience data available when it designated the platform in December 2023, despite a later correction putting Stripchat below the designation threshold. Stripchat has said it is considering an appeal.

Background of the VLOP Designation

Under the DSA, sites and platforms that reach at least 45 million monthly active EU users are designated as VLOPs, rendering them subject to more stringent regulations and fees. The European Commission initially classified livestreaming platform Stripchat as a VLOP in December 2023. This classification was based on data from web analytics company Similarweb, which initially reported that Stripchat had more than the requisite 45 million EU users.

Specifically, the European Commission calculated more than 62 million monthly active recipients in the EU for Stripchat. This figure exceeded the DSA’s 45 million user threshold for VLOP designation. Stripchat operator Technius, however, reported approximately 31.8 million monthly active recipients in the EU. The dispute centered on how users were counted, with Technius contending that the Commission used unreliable data when it classified the site as a VLOP. According to the court’s account of the judgment, Technius deducted visits that the underlying analytics measure had already filtered.

The Commission later revoked Stripchat’s VLOP status in 2025. This revocation followed a downward revision of the user estimate by Similarweb, which placed the site below the VLOP threshold. Despite the revocation of its VLOP status, Technius petitioned the court last year to reverse the Commission’s 2023 determination that the site was a VLOP. The company sought a retroactive annulment of the previous ruling, which could allow Stripchat to recover the supervisory fee it paid.

Court's Decision and Implications

In its new ruling, the General Court rejected Stripchat’s argument that the Commission used unreliable data. The court accepted the Commission’s methodology and found that its decision was adequately explained. The court stated that later revisions to the analytics provider’s methodology, which produced a lower estimate, did not invalidate the original designation. This is because legality had to be assessed against the facts and law at the time of the Commission’s decision.

The General Court dismissed the action and ordered Technius to pay both its own and the Commission’s costs. This ruling rejects the annulment action, rather than imposing a fine for a separate breach of platform duties. Stripchat can appeal the ruling to the EU’s Court of Justice. An appeal, limited to points of law, may be brought within two months and ten days of notification.

The VLOP classification imposes rigorous operational burdens on platforms. These platforms are required to take proactive measures to mitigate systemic risks, including implementing robust mechanisms for content moderation, protecting minors from harmful material, and conducting independent audits to ensure transparency in their algorithms and data handling practices. For Stripchat, this means the platform must align its operations with stringent European standards, dedicating resources toward enhancing internal systems for monitoring illegal content and verifying user age.

Potential Future Consequences

An annulment of the 2023 VLOP designation could have impacted an ongoing investigation into possible past breaches of the DSA by Stripchat. In March, the Commission preliminarily found Stripchat to be in breach of DSA provisions intended to shield minors from adult content. Depending on how that case proceeds, the company could be subject to fines of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover, and/or penalty payments. The General Court’s decision to uphold the original VLOP designation validates the European Commission's methodology for calculating user numbers, which serves as the primary metric for subjecting digital services to heightened regulatory oversight.

Key Facts

  • The EU General Court ruled against Stripchat on October 14, 2026, upholding its 2023 VLOP designation.
  • Stripchat, operated by Technius, sought to annul the 2023 designation as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
  • The original VLOP classification in December 2023 was based on the European Commission's calculation of over 62 million monthly active EU users, exceeding the 45 million user threshold.
  • The Commission later revoked Stripchat’s VLOP status in 2025 after a downward revision of user estimates by Similarweb.
  • Stripchat’s legal challenge argued the Commission used unreliable data, but the court accepted the Commission’s methodology.
  • The court dismissed the action and ordered Technius to pay both its own and the Commission’s costs.
  • Stripchat can appeal the ruling to the EU’s Court of Justice within two months and ten days of notification.
  • The ruling has implications for an ongoing investigation into potential past DSA breaches by Stripchat, which could result in fines of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover.