British Pornography Traffic Falls After Identity Checks, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, States Watchdog
Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has increased.
Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in traffic to popular online adult platforms, including the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the end-of-July deadline. Later analysis suggests this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 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 current figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the platform to blocking the person who shared it.
This survey was conducted prior to new rules came into force that require platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material.
Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws
Separately, the government announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.
“The examination will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Regulations
Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.
Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create private images without permission.
- Create a new, separate regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
