UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these barriers has surged.
Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt reduction in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing continued past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing connections via another country—surged following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users before the verification began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content online. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who shared it.
This survey was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws
Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Controls
Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform systems.
- Add further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
