UK Pornography Site Visits Falls Following Identity Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, States Watchdog
Traffic to pornography platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop after the introduction of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications watchdog. Simultaneously, the use of tools designed to dodge these blocks has increased.
Sharp Fall in Visitor Numbers After Law Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an prompt decline in visits to major online adult platforms, such as the most visited provider in the UK. Figures shows that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the ten top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a markedly decreased volume than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent data indicates this slump in site visits persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass location-based restrictions by masking connections through another country—more than doubled after 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, up from approximately 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the regulator stated that VPN usage has afterwards steadily declined, with latest figures at around 900,000. It clarified that the volume of regular VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for pornography sites.
Young People Taking Action to Damaging Online Content
In other findings, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included flagging the content to the platform to muting the person who posted it.
This survey was carried out prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from seeing dangerous content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The most common way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a social media timeline, suggesting that algorithms were serving inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Examination of Pornography Laws
Separately, the ministers stated it would review the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing digital age.
“The examination will investigate the efficacy of the current law in relation to criminalising, among other things, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Advocates Call For Tighter Online Controls
Advocates for tighter control 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 abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children.
Suggested amendments to government bills seek to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform algorithms.
- Introduce additional restrictions on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to create non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on complaints of illegal content.
The advocates contend that these steps would ensure the protections that have existed for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
