UK Adult Content Traffic Declines Following Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Surges, States Watchdog

Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of age-checking measures this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has risen.

Sharp Drop in Visitor Numbers After Rule Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt decline in visits to major pornography sites, such as the top provider in the UK. Data shows that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.

Overall, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the late July deadline. Later data suggests this decline in site visits persisted past August.

Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass geographic blocks by masking connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing distressing content online. Actions ranged from reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who posted it.

This research was conducted before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to stop children from seeing harmful content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way young people encountered such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were serving inappropriate material.

Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Legislation

Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is effective in the modern online world.

“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.

Advocates Call For Stricter Online Controls

Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have called on the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.

Proposed changes to legislation aim to:

• Ban pornography where performers are impersonating children, sometimes filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by site systems.
• Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to own tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to reports of unlawful content.

The advocates argue that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.