British Pornography Traffic Declines Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Regulator

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to circumvent these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers Following Rule Implementation

The enforcement of age verification on 25 July caused an prompt fall in traffic to popular pornography sites, such as the top site in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent data indicates this downward trend in viewing persisted beyond August.

Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent location-based blocks by masking internet traffic via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers peaked at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 users before the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest numbers at around 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content online. Actions included flagging the content to the platform to muting the user who shared it.

This survey was conducted prior to new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by looking through a platform feed, indicating that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Laws

Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Advocates Push For Stricter Online Controls

Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by casting youthful adults portraying children.

Proposed changes to government bills aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
• Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, separate regulatory body to conduct spot checks on pornography sites and respond to complaints of unlawful content.

The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades offline finally apply to the online sphere.