UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Age Verifications, Yet VPN Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications authority. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has risen.

Immediate Fall in User Figures After Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an swift decline in traffic to popular pornography sites, such as the leading provider in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a markedly decreased volume than before the late July deadline. Subsequent data suggests this decline in viewing continued beyond August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Bypass Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can get around geographic restrictions by routing connections through another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from around 650,000 people before the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.

Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Steps taken ranged from reporting the content to the platform to blocking the user who shared it.

This survey was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require social media companies to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the government announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing online world.

“The examination will investigate the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Advocates Call For Stricter Digital Regulations

Advocates for better regulation of adult content have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.

Suggested amendments to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
• Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate regulatory body to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners argue that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.