UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Age Checks, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to pornography sites in the UK has seen a notable drop after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has risen.
Immediate Drop in User Figures Following Rule Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an swift fall in visits to major pornography sites, including the leading site in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing persisted beyond August.
Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by routing connections through another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it.
This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that compel platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.
Government Launch Examination of Pornography Laws
Separately, the government announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.
Suggested changes to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.
