British Pornography Site Visits Falls Following Age Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, States Regulator
Access to pornography sites in the UK has fallen significantly after the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has increased.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift fall in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis shows this slump in viewing continued past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by routing internet traffic via another country—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions included flagging the content to the site to blocking the user who shared it.
This research was carried out before new rules came into force that require platforms to prevent children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.
Proposed changes to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
