UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Age Checks, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Watchdog
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these barriers has increased.
Sharp Fall in User Numbers After Rule Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate decline in visits to popular pornography sites, including the top site in the UK. Figures shows that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than before the late July deadline. Later analysis shows this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by masking internet traffic through another country—surged following 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it.
This survey was conducted prior to new rules took effect that compel platforms to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the ministers announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Controls
Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking adults dressed as children.
Suggested changes to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally apply to the digital age.
