British Adult Content Traffic Declines After Age Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog

Visitor numbers to adult content websites in the United Kingdom has decreased markedly after the roll-out of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the nation's communications authority. At the same time, the use of tools designed to circumvent these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Drop in User Figures Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt reduction in traffic to major pornography sites, including the top provider in the UK. Data reveals that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this decline in site visits continued past August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Evade Checks

Reacting to the new rules, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can bypass geographic restrictions by routing internet traffic through another country—surged following 25 July.

Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 people prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since decreased, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for pornography services.

Teenagers Responding to Harmful Material

In other findings, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content on the internet. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the platform to blocking the user who posted it.

This survey was conducted before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.

Government Announce Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government announced it would review the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the ever-developing digital age.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.

Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Controls

Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by using young-looking adults portraying children.

Proposed amendments to legislation seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Apply tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which research suggests is often promoted by site algorithms.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create private images without permission.
• Establish a new, independent regulatory body to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to reports of illegal content.

The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years offline finally apply to the digital age.