UK Pornography Traffic Falls After Age Verifications, Yet VPN Usage Surges, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to adult content platforms in the UK has decreased markedly since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has surged.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an immediate reduction in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the late July deadline. Subsequent analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks
Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by routing connections via another country—surged after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 users prior to the checks began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content on the internet. Actions ranged from reporting the content to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This research was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.
Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful adults portraying children.
Suggested changes to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site systems.
- Add further restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
