UK Pornography Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator
Access to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly after the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications regulator. Concurrently, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has risen.
Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt fall in traffic to leading online adult platforms, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the end-of-July implementation date. Later data suggests this downward trend in site visits continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks
In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the site to muting the user who posted it.
This research was carried out before new regulations came into force that require platforms to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Advocates Call For Stricter Online Regulations
Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.
Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
