UK Pornography Site Visits Declines Following Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has risen.
Sharp Fall in User Figures Following Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July resulted in an prompt fall in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease 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 stabilized at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic blocks by masking connections through another nation—surged after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users before the checks began. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study 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 platform to blocking the person who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from seeing dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the government announced it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the modern online world.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of incest and any types of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Regulations
Advocates for better control of online pornography have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.
