UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Use Surges, States Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these blocks has risen.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate fall in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data shows this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.
Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic restrictions by masking connections via another country—surged following 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.
Young People Responding to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.
This research was conducted before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for better control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using youthful adults portraying children.
Proposed amendments to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, 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 adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.
