UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Regulator

Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. At the same time, the use of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has surged.

Sharp Fall in Visitor Figures After Law Enforcement

The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift decline in visits to leading pornography sites, including the most visited provider in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than before the late July deadline. Subsequent analysis shows this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic blocks by routing internet traffic through another country—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content on the internet. Actions ranged from flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who posted it.

This research was conducted before new regulations took effect that require platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.

Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the ministers announced it would review the legislation relating to pornography to assess 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, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Controls

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

Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:

• Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site systems.
• Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.