UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Identity Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, States Regulator
Traffic to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has increased.
Immediate Drop in User Numbers After Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an immediate reduction in visits to popular pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease 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 prior to the late July deadline. Subsequent data shows this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks
In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by masking connections through another country—surged after 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the content to the site to muting the person who posted it.
This survey was carried out prior to new regulations came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the ministers announced it would review the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will investigate the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a government official.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Regulations
Advocates for better regulation of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting youthful adults portraying children.
Proposed amendments to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally apply to the digital age.
