UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Identity Checks, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has increased.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures Following Law Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an swift reduction in visits to popular online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing persisted beyond August.
Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic restrictions by routing internet traffic through another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions included reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who shared it.
This research was carried out prior to new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the government announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Controls
Advocates 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 appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children.
Suggested changes to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
