UK Adult Content Traffic Falls Following Identity Checks, But VPN Use Spikes, States Watchdog

Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the UK has seen a notable drop since the enforcement of age-checking measures earlier this year, as reported by the nation's communications authority. Concurrently, the adoption of tools designed to bypass these barriers has risen.

Immediate Drop in User Figures After Rule Enforcement

The enforcement of age verification on 25 July led to an prompt reduction in traffic to popular online adult platforms, such as the top provider in the UK. Data indicates that user traffic to this site in August reached 9.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million compared to the same period in 2024.

In total, traffic to the 10 most-visited pornography sites in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than prior to the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis shows this downward trend in viewing continued past August.

Surge in Virtual Private Network Usage to Evade Restrictions

Reacting to the new regulations, use of VPN software—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.

User numbers reached a high at more than 1.4 million in mid-August, up from around 650,000 people before the checks were introduced. However, the watchdog stated that VPN usage has afterwards fallen back, with current numbers standing at around 900,000. It added that the level of regular VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for pornography services.

Young People Taking Action to Harmful Online Content

In other findings, the regulator's annual study revealed that about 60% of young people aged 11 to 17 had taken action after encountering damaging content online. Actions ranged from reporting the content to the platform to muting the user who posted it.

This research was carried out prior to new regulations came into force that compel platforms to stop children from accessing dangerous content, including material related to suicide and adult material. The primary way teenagers came across such content was by scrolling through a platform feed, suggesting that recommendation systems were serving harmful material.

Government Announce Review of Adult Content Laws

Separately, the government announced it would examine the legislation relating to pornography to consider whether it is adequate in the ever-developing online world.

“The review will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to making illegal, among other things, damaging portrayals of incest and any types of pornography which promote child sexual abuse,” stated a justice minister.

Advocates Call For Tighter Online Regulations

Advocates for tighter regulation of online pornography have urged the authorities to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This encompasses content featuring incest scenes or that appears to promote child sexual abuse by casting youthful adults dressed as children.

Proposed changes to government bills seek to:

• Prohibit pornography where performers are mimicking children, often recorded in settings like children’s bedrooms.
• Extend the crime of creating an indecent image of a child to include material where an adult acts the part of a child.
• Introduce stricter regulation on incest-themed pornography, which studies indicates is heavily recommended by platform systems.
• Introduce further controls on “nudification” software, potentially making it an illegal act to possess tools designed to create non-consensual nude images.
• Create a new, separate oversight agency to conduct spot checks on adult platforms and respond to complaints of illegal content.

The campaigners contend that these measures would ensure the safeguards that have existed for years offline finally are extended to the digital age.