British Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Identity Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop after the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has risen.

Immediate Fall in User Figures After Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an swift reduction in traffic to major pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent data shows this downward trend in site visits persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks

In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic restrictions by routing internet traffic via another country—increased dramatically following 25 July.

Usage 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. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with current numbers at around 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.

Young People Taking Action to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content online. Actions included reporting the material to the site to muting the person who shared it.

This survey was carried out before new rules came into force that require platforms to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.

Campaigners Call For Tighter Online Regulations

Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.

Proposed changes to legislation seek to:

• Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Apply stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by site algorithms.
• Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content.

The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.