UK Pornography Traffic Declines After Identity Checks, Yet VPN Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has increased.

Immediate Fall in User Figures Following Rule Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt decline in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July deadline. Later data suggests this decline in viewing continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks

In response to the new rules, use of VPN software—which can get around location-based blocks by routing connections through another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest figures at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material

In other findings, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content on the internet. Actions included reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.

This survey was conducted before new regulations came into force that require social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.

Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Campaigners Call For Tighter Online Controls

Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.

Proposed changes to legislation seek to:

• Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site systems.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The advocates contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the digital age.