UK Adult Content Traffic Declines After Age Checks, But VPN Usage Spikes, States Watchdog

Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the UK has fallen significantly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has surged.

Immediate Fall in User Figures Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in traffic to popular online adult platforms, including the top site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period 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 end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent analysis suggests this slump in site visits persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Evade Checks

In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around geographic restrictions by routing connections through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 people before the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the material to the platform to muting the person who posted it.

This research was carried out prior to new rules came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Government Launch Review of Adult Content Legislation

In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern digital age.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.

Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Regulations

Advocates for tighter regulation of adult content have called on the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.

Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site systems.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.