British Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Age Checks, But VPN Usage Surges, Reports Watchdog
Access to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the country's communications authority. At the same time, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these blocks has increased.
Sharp Fall in Visitor Numbers After Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an immediate decline in traffic to popular pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this slump in site visits continued beyond August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks
Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing connections via another nation—surged after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with current numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing damaging content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the site to muting the user 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 dangerous content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for better control of adult content have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages abuse by using young-looking adults dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research suggests is heavily recommended by site systems.
- Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, independent regulatory body to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.
The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the online sphere.
