UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator
Access to adult content platforms in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the use of tools designed to dodge these blocks has increased.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures Following Rule Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an swift decline in visits to major pornography sites, including the leading site in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this decline in site visits continued past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks
In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic restrictions by routing internet traffic through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.
This survey was carried out before new rules took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Government Announce Review of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern online world.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Regulations
Campaigners for better control of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add additional controls 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 conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
