UK Adult Content Traffic Falls After Identity Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Regulator

Access to pornography sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the adoption of specialist software designed to bypass these restrictions has increased.

Sharp Fall in User Numbers Following Rule Enforcement

The introduction of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift decline in traffic to major online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures reveals that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.

In total, visitor numbers to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July implementation date. Subsequent data suggests this slump in viewing persisted beyond August.

Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Bypass Checks

In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by routing connections via another nation—increased dramatically following 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 users before the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has since steadily declined, with latest numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Teenagers Taking Action to Damaging Material

Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions included flagging the material to the platform to muting the user who posted it.

This research was carried out before new regulations took effect that require social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and adult material. The most common way young people came across such content was by looking through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving harmful material.

Government Launch Review of Pornography Laws

Separately, the government stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.

“The examination will look into the efficacy of the current law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of familial abuse and any forms of pornography which encourage child sexual abuse,” said a government official.

Advocates Call For Stricter Online Regulations

Campaigners for tighter regulation of online pornography have called on the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that appears to promote abuse by casting young-looking performers portraying children.

Suggested changes to legislation aim to:

• Prohibit pornography where adults are mimicking children, sometimes recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult plays the role of a child.
• Introduce tighter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
• Add additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create private images without permission.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform spot checks on pornography sites and act on complaints of unlawful content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have been enforced for years offline finally apply to the online sphere.