UK Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator
Traffic to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has surged.
Sharp Drop in User Numbers After Law Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt fall in visits to popular pornography sites, including the top site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic blocks by masking internet traffic through another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Responding to Harmful Material
In other findings, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the site to blocking the person who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new regulations came into force that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern online world.
“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.
Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Add further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
