UK Adult Content Site Visits Falls Following Age Checks, But Virtual Private Network Usage Spikes, Reports Regulator
Visitor numbers to pornography platforms in the United Kingdom has seen a notable drop since the enforcement of age-checking measures this summer, as reported by the nation's communications watchdog. Concurrently, the usage of tools designed to circumvent these barriers has risen.
Sharp Fall in User Figures After Rule Implementation
The enforcement of age vetting on 25 July led to an swift fall in traffic to leading online adult platforms, such as the leading site in the UK. Figures indicates that visitor numbers to this site in August stood at 9.8 million, a drop of 1.5 million from the same period in 2024.
In total, visitor numbers to the 10 top adult services in the UK have now stabilized at a “lower level” than before the late July implementation date. Subsequent analysis indicates this slump in viewing persisted past August.
Sharp Increase in VPN Usage to Bypass Restrictions
In response to the new rules, adoption of VPN software—which can bypass location-based blocks by routing connections via another nation—more than doubled following 25 July.
Usage reached a high at over 1.4 million in the middle of August, rising from around 650,000 people before the checks began. However, the regulator noted that VPN usage has afterwards decreased, with latest numbers standing at approximately 900,000. It added that the level of daily VPN use remains “much lower” than traffic for adult sites.
Teenagers Taking Action to Harmful Material
Elsewhere, the watchdog's report revealed that about 60% of teenagers aged 11 to 17 had acted after encountering damaging content on the internet. Actions included reporting the material to the site to blocking the user who posted it.
This research was carried out prior to new rules took effect that compel social media companies to prevent children from seeing harmful content, such as material related to self-harm and pornography. The primary way teenagers encountered such content was by scrolling through a platform timeline, indicating that algorithms were showing harmful material.
Ministers Announce Examination of Pornography Laws
In a related development, the ministers stated it would review the criminal law governing pornography to consider whether it is effective in the ever-developing online world.
“The examination will look into the efficacy of the existing law in relation to criminalising, for example, harmful depictions of incest and any types of pornography which promote the abuse of children,” stated a government official.
Campaigners Call For Stricter Online Controls
Campaigners for better control of online pornography have urged the government to outlaw so-called “barely legal” material. This includes content featuring incest scenes or that encourages abuse by using youthful performers dressed as children.
Suggested amendments to government bills aim to:
- Prohibit pornography where adults are impersonating children, often recorded in environments like children’s bedrooms.
- Broaden the offence of making an indecent image of a child to include material where an older performer plays the role of a child.
- Apply stricter regulation on familial abuse pornography, which research indicates is often promoted by platform systems.
- Introduce further controls on “nudification” technology, potentially making it an offence to possess tools designed to generate non-consensual nude images.
- Establish a new, independent oversight agency to perform inspections on pornography sites and respond to reports of unlawful content.
The campaigners argue that these measures would ensure the protections that have existed for decades in the physical world finally are extended to the digital age.
