UK Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Identity Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator
Traffic to adult content sites in the UK has decreased markedly since the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these barriers has surged.
Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate reduction in traffic to leading pornography sites, including the most visited site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this platform in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than prior to the late July implementation date. Later data shows this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.
Surge in VPN Adoption to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by masking connections through another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Young People Responding to Damaging Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering distressing content on the internet. Actions included reporting the material to the site to muting the person who shared it.
This survey was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the modern digital age.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children.
Suggested amendments to legislation seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Add further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
