UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Regulator
Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly after the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these restrictions has increased.
Sharp Fall in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt decline in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
In total, traffic to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks
In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based restrictions by masking connections through another country—surged following 25 July.
Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.
Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the platform to muting the person who shared it.
This research was carried out prior to new regulations came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation
In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Regulations
Advocates for tighter control of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to government bills seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by platform systems.
- Introduce additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.