UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly after the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has risen.

Immediate Fall in Visitor Figures Following Rule Implementation

The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate fall in visits to leading pornography sites, including the most visited provider in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this slump in viewing persisted beyond August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks

In response to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking connections via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content online. Actions ranged from reporting the content to the platform to muting the person who shared it.

This research was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Examination of Adult Content Legislation

In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern digital age.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” stated a government official.

Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Controls

Advocates for better control of online pornography have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.

Suggested changes to legislation aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Introduce tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site algorithms.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.