UK Pornography Site Visits Falls After Identity Verifications, But VPN Use Spikes, Reports Watchdog
Traffic to pornography sites in the UK has decreased markedly since the introduction of age-checking measures earlier this year, according to the country's communications authority. Concurrently, the use of tools designed to dodge these blocks has increased.
Sharp Drop in User Numbers Following Rule Implementation
The introduction of age vetting on 25 July caused an swift reduction in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates that user traffic to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.
Overall, traffic to the ten top pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the end-of-July deadline. Subsequent analysis indicates this downward trend in site visits persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based blocks by masking connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage peaked at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 users prior to the checks began. Subsequently, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current figures at around 900,000. It added that the volume of daily VPN use is “much lower” than traffic for adult services.
Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content
Elsewhere, the regulator's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after seeing distressing content online. Steps taken included reporting the material to the platform to blocking the user who shared it.
This survey was conducted prior to new rules came into force that require platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, such as material related to suicide and adult material. The most common way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.
Ministers Announce Review of Adult Content Legislation
In a related development, the ministers announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern digital age.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the existing law in regarding making illegal, for example, damaging portrayals of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.
Advocates Push For Tighter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for better control of adult content have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers portraying children.
Proposed changes to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the crime of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer acts the part of a child.
- Introduce tighter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site algorithms.
- Introduce further restrictions on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess software designed to generate private images without permission.
- Establish a new, separate oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and act on complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.
