British Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Identity Checks, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, States Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the UK has decreased markedly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these blocks has risen.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures Following Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift reduction in visits to major pornography sites, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the late July deadline. Later analysis shows this decline in site visits continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic restrictions by routing connections via another nation—surged following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since decreased, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This survey was conducted before new rules took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Online Controls
Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the government to ban 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 amendments to government bills aim to:
- Ban 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.
- Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
