UK Pornography Traffic Falls Following Age Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, States Watchdog
Access to adult content sites in the UK has decreased markedly since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these barriers has risen.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate fall in traffic to major pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July implementation date. Later analysis suggests this slump in viewing continued past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Checks
In response to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections through another nation—surged after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Harmful Material
In other findings, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the content to the platform to blocking the user who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from seeing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Controls
Campaigners for better control of adult content have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using youthful adults portraying children.
Proposed changes to government bills seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
