🔗 Share this article UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has risen. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Law Implementation The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt reduction in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later data indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks Reacting to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by masking connections through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July. User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites. Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it. This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Laws Separately, the government stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world. “The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official. Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children. Proposed changes to legislation seek to: Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms. Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content. The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has risen. Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Law Implementation The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt reduction in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024. Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Later data indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August. Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks Reacting to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by masking connections through another nation—more than doubled after 25 July. User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites. Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it. This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require platforms to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material. Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Laws Separately, the government stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world. “The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official. Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations Advocates for tighter control of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children. Proposed changes to legislation seek to: Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms. Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child. Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms. Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to generate non-consensual nude images. Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content. The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.