UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Regulator
Traffic to pornography sites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications authority. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has risen.
Immediate Fall in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt decline in visits to popular pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures shows that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Later data shows this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by routing connections via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it.
This research was conducted before new rules came into force that compel platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Controls
Campaigners for better regulation of online pornography have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful adults dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
