British Pornography Traffic Declines After Identity Checks, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Surges, Reports 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. At the same time, the use of tools designed to dodge these restrictions has surged.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an immediate fall in traffic to major pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this site in August were 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July deadline. Later data suggests this decline in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing internet traffic via another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.
User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest numbers at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Young People Responding to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from reporting the content to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This survey was carried out prior to new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and adult material. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Laws
Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.
“The review will look into the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Controls
Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.
Proposed changes to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of creating an exploitative portrayal of a child to cover material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of illegal content.
The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
