UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Regulator
Traffic to adult content sites in the UK has decreased markedly since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these blocks has surged.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers After Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift reduction in visits to major pornography sites, including the leading site in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this slump in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.
User numbers 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 watchdog stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included flagging the content to the platform to muting the person who posted it.
This research was conducted before new regulations came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the government announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the modern online world.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Suggested amendments to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments 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.
- Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create private images without permission.
- Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
