UK Pornography Traffic Falls Following Identity Checks, Yet VPN Usage Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Visitor numbers to adult content 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 watchdog. Simultaneously, the adoption of specialist software designed to dodge these barriers has surged.
Immediate Drop in User Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt fall in visits to major online adult platforms, including the leading site in the UK. Figures shows that user traffic to this platform in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a significantly reduced level than before the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis suggests this slump in viewing persisted past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Checks
Reacting to the new regulations, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can get around location-based blocks by masking internet traffic through another nation—surged after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering distressing content online. Steps taken ranged from flagging the content to the site to blocking the person who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Government Announce Review of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in regarding criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage the abuse of children,” said a government official.
Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using young-looking performers portraying children.
Proposed changes to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to conduct inspections on pornography sites and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.