British Adult Content Site Visits Declines After Age Verifications, But Virtual Private Network Use Spikes, States Watchdog
Visitor numbers to adult content sites in the UK has fallen significantly since the introduction of mandatory age verification earlier this year, as reported by the country's communications regulator. At the same time, the usage of specialist software designed to bypass these blocks has risen.
Sharp Fall in User Figures Following Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age verification on 25 July resulted in an swift fall in visits to leading pornography sites, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this platform 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 ten top pornography sites in the UK have now settled at a significantly reduced level than before the late July deadline. Subsequent data shows this decline in viewing persisted beyond August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Adoption to Evade Checks
Reacting to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can circumvent geographic restrictions by routing internet traffic via another country—surged following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in mid-August, rising from around 650,000 users before the checks began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has since decreased, with current figures standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than user numbers for adult sites.
Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report found that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering harmful content online. Actions included reporting the content to the site to muting the user who posted it.
This survey was carried out before new rules took effect that compel social media companies to stop children from accessing harmful content, including material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way young people encountered such content was by looking through a social media feed, indicating that recommendation systems were showing harmful material.
Government Launch Examination of Pornography Legislation
Separately, the ministers stated it would examine the criminal law governing pornography to assess whether it is adequate in the modern digital age.
“The review will look into the effectiveness of the current law in regarding making illegal, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any forms of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” said a justice minister.
Campaigners Push For Tighter Online Regulations
Campaigners for better control of adult content have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that encourages child sexual abuse by casting youthful performers dressed as children.
Proposed amendments to legislation seek to:
- Ban pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the crime of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult plays the role of a child.
- Introduce stricter controls on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is often promoted by site systems.
- Add additional controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an illegal act to possess software designed to create private images without permission.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to conduct inspections on adult platforms and respond to complaints of unlawful content.
The advocates argue that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for decades in the physical world finally apply to the online sphere.
