UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls After Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports Watchdog
Access to pornography platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop after the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has increased.
Sharp Drop in Visitor Figures Following Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in traffic to leading pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Figures shows that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis indicates this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.
Surge in VPN Usage to Evade Checks
In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by masking connections through another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the checks began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the content to the site to blocking the person who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require platforms 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 looking through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.
“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Controls
Campaigners for tighter control of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.
Proposed amendments to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
