UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography websites 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 authority. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these barriers has surged.
Sharp Drop in User Numbers After Rule Enforcement
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop 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 settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July deadline. Subsequent data shows this decline in viewing persisted beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by routing connections through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the checks began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material
In other findings, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content online. Actions ranged from flagging the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.
This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that compel platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the government stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.
“The examination will look into 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,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Stricter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for better control of adult content have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting youthful adults dressed as children.
Proposed changes to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site systems.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
