UK Adult Content Traffic Falls After Identity Checks, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, Reports Regulator

Traffic to adult content sites in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly since the enforcement of mandatory age verification this summer, according to the nation's communications regulator. At the same time, the use of tools designed to bypass these blocks has risen.

Immediate Fall in Visitor Numbers Following Law Implementation

The introduction of age verification on 25 July resulted in an prompt reduction in visits to popular online adult platforms, such as the most visited site in the UK. Data shows that user traffic to this platform in August were 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.

Overall, visitor numbers to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the end-of-July deadline. Later analysis indicates this decline in site visits continued past August.

Surge in VPN Adoption to Evade Restrictions

In response to the new regulations, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent location-based restrictions by routing connections via another nation—surged following 25 July.

Usage peaked at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from approximately 650,000 people prior to the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog noted that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current figures standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Teenagers Responding to Damaging Material

In other findings, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering harmful content on the internet. Steps taken included reporting the content to the platform to muting the user who posted it.

This research was conducted prior to new regulations took effect that compel platforms to prevent 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, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.

Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Legislation

In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is “fit for purpose” in the modern online world.

“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding criminalising, for example, damaging depictions of familial abuse and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.

Campaigners Call For Stricter Digital Regulations

Advocates for better regulation of online pornography have urged the government to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting young-looking adults portraying children.

Proposed changes to legislation seek to:

• Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often filmed in environments like children’s bedrooms.
• Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to cover material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by site systems.
• Introduce additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to own software designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on adult platforms and act on reports of unlawful content.

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