UK Pornography Site Visits Declines Following Age Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Regulator
Traffic to pornography sites in the UK has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. At the same time, the adoption of tools designed to dodge these blocks has risen.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Figures After Law Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an swift fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this slump in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by masking connections via another country—more than doubled after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Teenagers Responding to Harmful Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to muting the person who shared it.
This research was carried out before new rules took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the government announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children.
Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to create private images without permission.
- Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.
