British Pornography Site Visits Falls After Age Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog
Access to adult content sites in the UK has decreased markedly since the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, according to the country's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to dodge these blocks has surged.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate fall in visits to major online adult platforms, including the top provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 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 late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.
Surge in VPN Usage to Evade Checks
Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic blocks by masking connections through another nation—surged after 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. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content online. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to muting the user who posted it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the government announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.
Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on 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 apply to the online sphere.
