British Adult Content Site Visits Declines Following Identity Verifications, Yet VPN Usage Surges, States Regulator
Access to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the roll-out of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the country's communications authority. At the same time, the adoption of tools designed to circumvent these blocks has increased.
Immediate Drop in User Numbers After Law Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift decline in traffic to major pornography sites, including the leading site in the UK. Figures reveals that visitor numbers to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited adult services in the UK have now settled at a “lower level” than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this decline in site visits continued past August.
Surge in Virtual Private Network Adoption to Bypass Checks
In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by routing connections through another nation—surged following 25 July.
User numbers peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 users before the checks began. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since decreased, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for pornography sites.
Young People Responding to Damaging Online Content
Elsewhere, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after seeing damaging content online. Actions ranged from reporting the content to the platform to muting the user who posted it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules took effect that require platforms to prevent children from accessing harmful content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that recommendation systems were showing inappropriate material.
Government Launch Review of Adult Content Laws
In a related development, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing digital age.
“The review will investigate the efficacy of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, harmful portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Stricter Digital Regulations
Advocates for better control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring simulated familial abuse or that encourages child sexual abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.
Proposed changes to government bills seek to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply tighter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is often promoted by platform systems.
- Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, separate oversight agency to perform spot checks on adult platforms and act on complaints of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the digital age.
