UK Pornography Site Visits Falls Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Use Surges, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly after the roll-out of age-checking measures 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 increased.
Sharp Drop in User Numbers Following Law Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt decline in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the leading provider in the UK. Data indicates that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the late July deadline. Later analysis indicates this slump in site visits continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks
In response to the new rules, 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 people prior to the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Actions included flagging the content to the site to blocking the user who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Government Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the government announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Advocates Push For Tighter Online Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of adult content have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
- Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
