UK Adult Content Traffic Falls After Age Verifications, Yet VPN Use Spikes, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the use of tools designed to dodge these blocks has risen.
Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate decline in visits to leading pornography sites, such as the leading provider in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this decline in viewing continued past August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by masking connections via another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Actions included reporting the material to the platform to muting the person who shared it.
This research was conducted before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Government Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the government stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Regulations
Advocates for tighter control of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children.
Proposed changes to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site systems.
- Add further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.