UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Age Verifications, Yet VPN Usage Surges, Reports Regulator
Traffic to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these barriers has risen.
Sharp Fall in Visitor Figures Following Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an swift fall in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Figures shows that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the late July implementation date. Later data indicates this slump in viewing persisted past August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the platform to blocking the person who posted it.
This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Government Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
Separately, the government stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Regulations
Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
- Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
