UK Adult Content Traffic Falls After Identity Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog

Access to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications regulator. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to dodge these blocks has surged.

Immediate Drop in User Figures Following Law Enforcement

The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an swift fall in visits to popular pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Data reveals that visitor numbers to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the 10 top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the late July deadline. Later data suggests this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.

Surge in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions

In response to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic blocks by routing connections via another country—surged following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing harmful content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who shared it.

This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that compel platforms to stop children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Laws

Separately, the ministers announced it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Stricter Online Regulations

Advocates for better control of adult content have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting young-looking performers dressed as children.

Suggested changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Introduce additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and act on reports of illegal content.

The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have been enforced for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.