British Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Regulator
Access to pornography platforms in the UK has fallen significantly after the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has increased.
Immediate Fall in Visitor Numbers After Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in visits to major online adult platforms, including the leading provider in the UK. Figures shows that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing continued beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks
In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing connections via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.
Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the content to the site to muting the person who shared it.
This research was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Controls
Advocates for better control of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful performers portraying children.
Proposed amendments to government bills aim 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 adult acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
