UK Pornography Traffic Declines Following Identity Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, States Watchdog

Access to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has risen.

Immediate Fall in User Numbers Following Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate reduction in traffic to leading online adult platforms, including the most visited site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Later data shows this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.

Surge in VPN Usage to Bypass Checks

In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by routing connections through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.

Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the platform to blocking the person who posted it.

This research was carried out before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material.

Government Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation

In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.

“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a government official.

Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Regulations

Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children.

Proposed changes to legislation aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
• Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.