UK Adult Content Traffic Falls After Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator
Traffic to pornography websites in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has risen.
Immediate Fall in User Numbers Following Law Enforcement
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July caused an prompt fall in traffic to major online adult platforms, including the top provider in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this site in August were 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
Overall, visitor numbers to the ten most-visited adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this decline in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new rules, adoption of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)—which can circumvent geographic restrictions by masking connections through another nation—increased dramatically after 25 July.
Usage reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the verification were introduced. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Teenagers Responding to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the content to the site to blocking the user who posted it.
This research was carried out before new rules came into force that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way young people came across such content was by scrolling through a social media feed, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Adult Content Legislation
Separately, the government stated it would review the legislation governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the modern digital age.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” stated a government official.
Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Controls
Advocates for tighter control of adult content 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 dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform algorithms.
- Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for decades offline finally are extended to the online sphere.
