UK Adult Content Traffic Falls After Age Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator

Traffic to pornography sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications authority. Concurrently, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has risen.

Immediate Fall in User Figures After Law Implementation

The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in traffic to popular pornography sites, such as the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this decline in site visits continued beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks

Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by masking connections via another country—surged following 25 July.

Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the person who posted it.

This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that compel platforms to stop children from seeing 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 feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.

Government Launch Review of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Campaigners Push For Stricter Digital Regulations

Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
• Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the digital age.