British Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has risen.
Immediate Fall in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt fall in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July deadline. Later data suggests this slump in site visits continued past August.
Surge in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the content to the platform to blocking the person who shared it.
This survey was carried out before new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful 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 timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, damaging depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.
Proposed changes to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
