British Pornography Traffic Declines Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Access to adult content sites in the UK has seen a notable drop after the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the country's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the usage of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has risen.
Immediate Fall in User Figures After Law Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an swift decline in visits to major pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Later analysis shows this slump in viewing continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing internet traffic through another nation—surged after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.
Young People Responding to Harmful Material
In other findings, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing harmful content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the person who shared it.
This survey was conducted prior to new regulations came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Government Launch Examination of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Campaigners Call For Tighter Digital Controls
Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children.
Suggested changes to government bills aim to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site systems.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate private images without permission.
- Create a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and act on reports of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally apply to the online sphere.
