British Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Identity Checks, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Watchdog
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to bypass these barriers has surged.
Immediate Drop in User Figures After Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt decline in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited site in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Later data suggests this slump in site visits continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around location-based blocks by routing connections through another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content online. Actions included flagging the material to the platform to blocking the person who shared it.
This survey was carried out prior to new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the ministers announced it would examine the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.
“The examination will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Regulations
Campaigners for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.
Suggested changes to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site systems.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create private images without permission.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the digital age.