UK Pornography Site Visits Declines Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator
Access to adult content websites in the UK has decreased markedly since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, as reported by the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has risen.
Immediate Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an swift decline in traffic to leading pornography sites, including the most visited provider in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Later analysis indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing connections through another country—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Young People Taking Action to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content online. Steps taken included flagging the material to the platform to blocking the person who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules came into force that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the government stated it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Call For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children.
Proposed changes to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
