UK Pornography Site Visits Declines After Age Verifications, Yet Virtual Private Network Usage Surges, States Watchdog
Access to adult content platforms in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the roll-out of mandatory age verification earlier this year, according to the nation's communications regulator. Simultaneously, the use of specialist software designed to circumvent these blocks has risen.
Sharp Fall in Visitor Figures Following Rule Enforcement
The introduction of age verification on 25 July led to an immediate decline in visits to leading online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a decline of 1.5 million compared to the equivalent month in 2024.
In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the late July deadline. Subsequent analysis shows this downward trend in viewing continued beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Evade Restrictions
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can get around location-based restrictions by masking connections via another country—surged following 25 July.
User numbers reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, up from approximately 650,000 people prior to the verification began. Subsequently, the regulator stated that VPN usage has since fallen back, with current numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It clarified that the level of regular VPN use is “much lower” than user numbers for adult services.
Young People Responding to Harmful Online Content
Elsewhere, the regulator's report revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions ranged from flagging the content to the site to muting the user who shared it.
This research was conducted prior to new rules came into force that compel social media companies to prevent children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and pornography. The primary way young people came across such content was by looking through a platform timeline, suggesting that algorithms were showing inappropriate material.
Ministers Launch Review of Pornography Legislation
Separately, 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 examination will investigate the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, harmful portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Digital Regulations
Campaigners for tighter control of online pornography have called on the authorities to ban so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where adults are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
- Extend the offence of making an exploitative portrayal of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on familial abuse pornography, which studies suggests is heavily recommended by platform systems.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to own tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Create a new, independent regulatory body to perform inspections on adult platforms and respond to complaints of illegal content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have been enforced for years in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
